TDP national president and Leader of the Opposition N. Chandrababu Naidu has dared the ruling YSRCP to respond to the issues raised by the Opposition instead of running away from them.
Addressing the media here on Wednesday, Mr. Naidu said Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy made tall promises during the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting on the conduct of the proceedings in the House. He assured TDP MLA K. Atchannaidu that “sufficient time” would be given to the Opposition to speak in the House. Mr. Reddy further promised to extend the number of working days if need be.
Contrary to the promises made, the ruling party was “suppressing the voice of the Opposition,” Mr. Naidu charged.
“More so, going against traditions and practices, the Speaker did not allow me to register my protest. In fact, he was not interested to look at the Opposition benches, forcing us to walk out of the House,” he said.
Referring to the discussion on the Godavari pushkarams, Mr. Naidu said the government was trying to malign the previous government on every possible issue. They debated on a “very old issue only to portray me in bad light,” he said. The Speaker, too, allowed it, but did not give the TDP MLAs a chance to clarify. “It is a practice to give a chance to the legislator if something against him or her is uttered in the House,” Mr. Naidu said, and added that the Speaker ignored all the rules.
It was painful that the Speaker did not respond though a former Chief Minister, against whom allegations were made on the Floor of the House, wanted to speak.
“The Chief Minister dictates and the Speaker follows,” he alleged.
‘No priorities’
“The government has no priorities. If it has, it will not come up with such issues in the Assembly. The YSRCP leaders are keen on vacating me from my residence. They were more interested in scaling down security for the TDP MLAs. They are indifferent to the flight of investments. They don’t respond when the World Bank and the AIIB pull out of the projects. They have no concern for the farmers’ suicide. Their priorities will not take the State anywhere,” Mr. Naidu observed.
Stating that the TDP initially wanted to give six months time to the newly formed government, Mr. Naidu said, “Going by the anarchy in the State, we feel it is time to react.”
TDP MLAs Mr. Atchannaidu and Nimmala Ramanaidu, MLC Yanamala Ramakrishnudu, and TDP State president Kimidi Kala Venkat Rao were present.
