The scarcity of onion and the consequent spurt in its prices on Monday rocked the Assembly with the ruling and Opposition parties trading charges.
Speaker Thammineni Seetharam disallowed an adjournment motion on onion prices served by the Telugu Desam Party (TDP).
TDP members rushed to Speaker’s podium demanding that the Chair allow the motion. Showing placards, they raised slogans against the spiralling onion prices and the State government.
YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) women members too rushed to the well and raised slogans against the TDP for obstructing a discussion on security of women in the State. Pandemonium prevailed for more than half an hour with TDP MLAs continuing their protest until Leader of the Opposition N. Chandrababu Naidu was allowed to speak.
Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy assured the House that discussion on the onion issue can be taken up at a later stage. Mr. Seetharam’s repeated request to the TDP members to return to their seats went in vain.
TDP Deputy Floor Leader K. Atchannaidu passed on a gift box to his party colleagues, who tried to hand it over to the Speaker. Mr. Seetharam took objection to it and asked them to remove it immediately.
Finance and Legislative Affairs Minister Buggana Rajendranath Reddy said the TDP members have no concern for safety of women.
Earlier, Mr. Jagan said Andhra Pradesh was the only State in the country that is supplying onion at ₹ 25 a kg at Rythu Bazaars.
“The spurt in prices is a serious subject for discussion and it can be taken up later but the fact remains that only in A.P., onion is supplied at ₹25 a kg, while it is sold at ₹200 a kg at Heritage outlets,” he said, taking a dig at Mr. Naidu.
Naidu clarifies
The government was purchasing the vegetable from faraway places and 36,500 kg had been bought till date, he said. Deputy Chief Minister (Tribal Welfare) Pamula Pushpa Srivani said she even received a Heritage sweet as a gift pack from Brahmani (daughter-in-law of Mr. Naidu).
Later, the Opposition leader clarified that Heritage was with the Future Group. The ruling party members did not know the difference between Heritage and Heritage Fresh, he said.
