The issue of Special Category Status (SCS) assured to Andhra Pradesh at the time of bifurcation rocked the Monsoon session of Legislative Assembly on Monday completely disrupting the proceedings of the House.
Barring passage of motions condoling deaths of former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, three persons who committed suicide upset over the State being denied SCS and pilgrims who were killed in the Godavari Pushkaram stampede, the first day of the Monsoon session could not transact any business. A remark made by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu against the main Opposition sparked off vociferous protests from the YSRC members forcing Speaker Kodela Sivaprasada Rao to abruptly adjourn the House for the day.
The Chief Minister was making a statement on the events that preceded the “irrational and indiscriminate” manner in which the State was bifurcated by the Congress. Trouble began when Mr. Naidu said that the then MP and YSRC President Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy, who tabled a no confidence motion against the UPA Government, withdrew the notice for the reasons best known to him.
Mr. Jagan, who was present in the House, wanted an opportunity to clarify his version on the issue, but was not given a chance on the ground that he could furnish his viewpoint after the Chief Minister completed his statement. Enraged over this, the YSRC members stormed into the well of the House and raised slogans against the ruling party demanding that their leader be given an opportunity to speak.
Repeated requests by the Speaker and Finance Minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu to the YSRC members to resume their seats on the ground that rules did not permit interruptions to the statements being made by the Chief Minister and his Cabinet colleagues went in vain. Some Ministers took objection to the YSRC’s demand that the TDP come out of the NDA alliance for the latter’s refusal to accord the coveted status to the State in spite of the promises the BJP had made in the run up to the previous elections.
“This is a conspiracy. The YSRC president wants the TRS to join the Union Cabinet once the TDP comes out of the alliance so that he can wriggle out of the cases registered against him,” Minister K. Atchan Naidu said.
The YSRC members gave an adjournment notice on the SCS issue when the House commenced its proceedings. The Speaker, however, disallowed the notice claiming that the issue was expected to come up for discussions during the day and that the Treasury Benches had expressed willingness to adopt a unanimous resolution seeking expeditious grant of special category status.
