Acrimonious exchange of words between the ruling and opposition members dominated the latter half of the day during the winter session of the Assembly on Tuesday.
It all began with Telugu Desam Party president N. Chandrababu Naidu, who during a short discussion on YSR Rythu Bharosa-PM Kisan sought to turn the tables on the YSRCP by saying that Chief Minister Y.S Jagan Mohan Reddy had gone back on his word of providing financial assistance of ₹12,500 to every farmer. Since the Centre has already contributed ₹7,500 from PM Kisan Fund, he demanded that the State government give ₹12,500 in addition to ₹7,500 provided by the Centre. Mr. Naidu also claimed that his government had waived all farm loans even after inheriting a precarious financial position.
Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy
Buggana’s counter
Minister for Finance Buggana Rajendranath Reddy was quick to launch a counter attack by reading out figures of amount allocated and the amount spent on farm loan waiver during the last five years. He said that while Mr. Naidu had promised a complete loan waiver, he had actually allocated ₹16,512 crore out of which ₹15,279 crore was spent.
The Finance Minister even displayed a couple of video clippings of the promises made by Mr. Naidu during his padayatra undertaken before the elections in 2014.
Mr. Naidu retorted saying that he was the only Chief Minister to implement complete farm loan waiver, drawing jeers from the ruling party members.
Tempers ran high as Chief Minister Y.S Jagan Mohan Reddy launched a broadside against Mr. Naidu. “A dog’s tail can never be straight,” he said while turning his head towards Mr. Naidu.
The TDP members rose on their feet and tried to rush towards the Speaker, as Mr. Naidu thundered that he would never be cowed down by such personal taunts. “I may be 70 years old, but I have the heart of a 25-year old. I can face you all (151 MLAs) and I have the strength to fight on public issues and set the State back on progressive path,” Mr. Naidu said.
Ambati remarks
Sattenapalli MLA Ambati Rambabu intervened and said that while Mr. Naidu, who is aged above 70 years, has a heart of a 25-year old, his son Lokesh thinks like a 70-year-old, drawing sharp protests from the Opposition.
Finally, Minister for Agriculture K. Kannababu wound off the discussion by saying that irrespective of land size, farmers would be provided financial assistance of ₹13,500 per year, including the PM-Kisan grant, per family. Landless tenant farmers belonging to BC, SC and ST and minorities would also be provided financial assistance, he added.
