Uproar in AP assembly

Hyderabad, Mar 23 (UNI) The Andhra Pradesh assembly today witnessed uproarious scenes when CPI M) legislator T Veerabhadram tried to clarify a statement by Leader of Opposition N Chandrababu Naidu, against whom the ruling Congress moved a privilege notice for ''deliberately misleading the House'' on the Sripadasagar Project.

The Congress members staged a noisy protest and interrupted frequently the CPI(M) member, who claimed the Government could not not sideline the issue of alleged irregularities in the award of contract for the Sripadasagar Project raised by all opposition parties, taking advantage of a mistake committed by Mr Naidu.

Irate Congress Legislator Vasanthkumar urged Speaker K R Suresh Reddy to immediately give his ruling on the privilege notice.

Taking exception to Legislative affairs Minister K Rosaiah allegedly ''twisting facts'' to suggest that Mr Naidu had himself admitted that the documents produced by his party were fake, the CPI(M) member while giving his view on the mock assembly by suspended TDP members, claimed that Mr Naidu had only said so with regard to a figure mentioned in a starred question.

The reference did not relate to documents produced before the Speaker, he said, amid interruptions by Congress legislators.

Mr Rosaiah lamented that the CPI(M), a poll ally of the Congress, had not not condemned the TDP for casting aspersions on the high office of Speaker and the main opposition party raising slogans like ''Idhemi Rajyam, Dhongala Rajyam''.

Government Chief Whip N Kirankumar Reddy recalled that Mr Naidu himself had admitted four times that he had deliberately given false data and this amounted to misleading the house.

Instructing Major Irrigation Minister P Lakshmaiah who rose to clarify the Government's position, to set the Speaker restored order by stating the issue was being examined by him.

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