Cash for vote scandal rocks AP Assembly

Disallowing debate, Speaker adjourns House sine die

Hyderabad: The cash-for-vote scandal in Telangana rocked the Andhra Pradesh Assembly on Thursday with opposition YSR Congress demanding Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu's reply on the matter which led to the House being adjourned without transacting any substantial business.

Assembly proceedings were disturbed for more than three hours as the opposition members demanded a reply from the Chief Minister on his alleged involvement in the issue. With members remaining unrelenting Speaker Kodela Sivaprasada Rao adjourned the House sine die at 1.15 p.m. Trouble began soon after the Speaker disallowed an adjournment motion given by the YSR Congress seeking a debate on the cash-for-vote episode.

Quoting rules, the Speaker said that any matter under adjudication by any court of law in any part of the country cannot be raised in the House and a discussion on the subject cannot be allowed. Amidst protests from YSRCP, Ministers K Atchannaidu and Palle Raghunatha Reddy asserted that Jaganmohan Reddy, who was facing numerous charges of corruption, had no moral right to speak about it.

The Ministers alleged that the YSR Congress was insisting on discussion on the issue under the direction of TRS president and Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao. "Chandrashekar Rao telephoned Jagan and asked him to raise the matter in the House," the Labour Minister alleged. Jagan challenged this and said if the minister can prove the allegation he would resign.

He further said that the if any matter that was sub-judice cannot be raised then how the Speaker was allowing the ministers to refer to the cases against him. As the Speaker reiterated that he cannot allow a discussion, the YSRC members trooped into the well of the House and raised slogans against Naidu and the TDP Government, forcing the Speaker to adjourn the House.