Speaker Tammineni Sitaram issued a ruling on Wednesday disallowing members from asking supplementary questions without his prior permission following the TDP MLAs’ demand to revert to a question on irrigation projects to which Minister P. Anil Kumar had already replied.
The Opposition wanted to rebut the allegations levelled by Mr. Anil Kumar over corruption that allegedly took place during the TDP rule but Mr. Sitaram did not oblige them.
In fact, the Speaker permitted TDLP deputy leader K. Atchannaidu to speak, but when Venkatagiri MLA Anam Ramanarayana Reddy objected to giving time to the TDP MLAs on the ground that the Minister had given his reply and the same subject could not be discussed again when eight other questions were pending, Mr. Sitaram refused to allow Mr. Atchannaidu to proceed.
The TDP MLAs led by their leader N. Chandrababu Naidu then stood up and protested, but to no avail as the Speaker insisted that only signatories to questions (those who submitted questions in writing) had the privilege to speak and others who intended to raise a matter could do so after obtaining his permission in advance.
As the Speaker stuck to his stand citing rules and regulations framed by M.N. Kaul and S.L. Shakdher, Mr. Naidu argued loudly by pointing at the Chair that the voice of the Opposition could not be stifled. Mr. Sitaram then cautioned the TDP MLAs against threatening him and refused to concede their demand.
Intervening in the discussion, Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy said the Speaker was accommodating the Opposition by going out of his way, and it was unfortunate that they still tried to bulldoze the proceedings. He suggested to Mr. Naidu to “adhere to the rules and change his behaviour.”
At one point, Mr. Sitaram questioned whether Mr. Naidu felt it proper on the part of MPs to squat in the podium in Parliament when the latter said the TDP MLAs were not doing a similar thing in the Assembly to fight for their rights.
After an intense debate, Mr. Sitaram told the TDP MLAs that he would allow them to make a point of order when the situation returned to normal. But he announced a tea-break after the House discussed only three questions in the stipulated time.
