Unprecedented scenes were witnessed in the premises of the A.P. Assembly and the Council on Monday as legislators from Seemandhra and Telangana nearly came to blows after the controversial Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill, 2013, for bifurcation of the State was tabled in the two Houses.
The scenes of action were the media points in the precincts of the Assembly and the Council when Seemandhra legislators tore off copies of the Bill after the Houses were adjourned, sparking off a tense situation.
In the Assembly premises, YSR Congress MLA Srikanth Reddy burnt the copies amid jostling by Telangana MLAs led by Chief Whip Gandra Venaktaramana Reddy.
Even as the melee was on, TDP members Devineni Uma and Dhulipala Narendra were seen tearing copies of the Bill while TRS MLA G. Kamalakar tried to prevent them leading to chaos in the presence of a strong posse of police. Later the TDP MLAs sat in a dharna outside the Speaker’s chambers demanding why he introduced the Bill amidst the din in the House.
Though a Business Advisory Committee meeting was scheduled, there was no word till 1 p.m. when the meeting would be convened to draw up a schedule for discussion on the Bill.
At the media point outside the Council hall, TDP MLCs led by P. Satish Reddy told the media persons that the Bill was invalid as in some sub-clauses it referred to Tamil Nadu and Telangana. Protesting against the interpretation, Mr. Swamy Goud of TRS rushed to the side of Satish Reddy and pushed the members to make his point. In the commotion, two women members Nannapaneni Rajakumari and Samanthakamani lost their balance and fell down even as a scuffle ensued between Mr. Satish Reddy and Mr. Goud.
In a fit of rage, Mr. Satish Reddy tore off the copy of the Bill and Mr. Goud said it tantamount to showing disrespect to the President. This further escalated the tense situation when the policemen finally separated both the groups.
Mr. Satish Reddy said that the Bill was sent in haste with glaring errors in the sub-clauses and it did not even have the mandatory section explaining the aims and objectives. He also recalled how TRS MLAs snatched documents from the Governor in the joint session of the Assembly and Council and tore them off.
Another TRS MLA Paturu Sudhakar Reddy said there was no error in the Bill as it referred to Tamil Nadu in the context of Andhra Pradesh formation from the composite State and how two councils were formed.
The TDP members later lodgeda complaint to the Council Chairman A. Chakrapani about the ‘assault’ on them. On the other hand, Mr. Yadav Reddy (Congress) said Telangana MLCs would move a privilege motion against the TDP members.
