T-debate stalled in Assembly as ministers join the protest

Hyderabad, Jan 27 : The discussion on Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill came to a halt in the State Legislative Assembly on Monday with the Telangana legislators, including some ministers, joining the protest asking Speaker Nadendla Manohar to reject the notice given by Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy to reject the Bill.

As soon as the House met at 9 AM on Monday, the Congress MLAs from Telangana region trooped into the well shouting Jai Telangana slogans. While the T-Congress MLAs were supported by TRS and BJP legislators, the pro-Samaikhyandhra legislators led by YSR Congress Party MLAs created uproar in favour of united State. The Speaker was forced to adjourn the House at about 9.04 AM for half-an-hour.

The protest by Telangana MLAs intensified when the House met again at about 11.15 AM. In an unprecedented development, State Ministers including G Prasad Kumar, Sunitha Lakshma Reddy, Sudarshan Reddy, D Sridhar Babu and others, Government Chief Whip Gandra Venkataramana Reddy, Whips Anil Kumar and Arepally Mohan and others rushed to the Speaker’s podium demanding rejection of notice given by the Chief Minister. Deputy Chief Minister Damodar Rajanarasimha and Labour Minister D Nagender too joined the protest by standing at their seats. Amidst shouting of ‘Jai Telangana’ slogans, the House was again adjourned for half-an-hour at about 11.20 AM.

The normalcy in the House could be restored when it met against at about 1.20 PM. The Speaker made several appeals asking the protesting ministers and legislators to resume their seats. However, the legislators, who were literally divided into two groups, did not react to the Speaker’s appeals. The Speaker then adjourned the House for the day at about 1.29 PM.

The protesting Telangana legislators contended that the Chief Minister had submitted the notice unilaterally without discussing in the cabinet. It may be mentioned that the Chief Minster gave notice to the Speaker seeking his permission to move a resolution in the House to reject the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill 2013. INN