Uproar in AP house over Minister's remark

Hyderabad, Nov 6 (UNI) The Andhra Pradesh Assembly was adjourned for the day today after the opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) plunged the house into pandemonium, taking strong exception to certain ''objectionable'' remarks made by State Transport Minister K Laxminarayana.

''Mr Naidu speaking on farmers issue amounted to ''devil quoting the scriptures'','' the Minister remarked while reacting to the charges levelled by Leader of Opposition (TDP) N Chandrababu Naidu against the Union and State Governments on the issue of hiking MSP for Paddy during a short duration discussion in the State Assembly.

As the minister described Mr Naidu as an 'evil force', irate TDP members rushed to the Speaker and demanded an apology from the former.

Deputy Speaker G Kutuhalamma, who was in the chair, restored order in the house by giving a chance to TDP Legislature Party Secretary E Dayakar Rao to speak.

Earlier, the Minister maintained that Mr Naidu had no moral right to speak on an issue concerning the farmers after discontinuing provision of compensation of Rs one lakh to the families of farmers who were forced to end their lives.

The minister said the statements made by Mr Naidu were more objectionable.

Mr Rao claimed that cotton growers were not getting a remunerative price as the ''anti-farmer'' Congress government had failed to intervene in the market.

Again, the Minister intervened and repeated his remarks against Mr Naidu, leading to uproarious scenes in the house. Following this, the Deputy Speaker adjourned the house to meet again tomorrow.

Earlier, BJP Floor leader Kishan Reddy expressed unhappiness over the way discussions were taking place in the house and opined that ''a witch doctor has to be summoned to drive away evil spirits''.

UNI