Pandemonium in Andhra Assembly, Opposition members suspended

Hyderabad, Dec 14 (UNI) The land scam issue rocked the Andhra Pradesh Assembly for the second day today leading to suspension of 35 members of the Opposition till the Question hour.

Pressing for Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy's resignation for his alleged violation of the Andhra Pradesh Land Reforms (ceiling on agricultural holdings) Act, Andhra Pradesh Assigned Lands (prohibition of transfer) Act and Andhra Pradesh Forest Act, the Opposition parties stalled the proceedings when Speaker K R Suresh Reddy disallowed the adjournment motions submitted by the TDP, TRS, BJP and the CPI(M) on the issue.

Even as Dr Reddy and Legislative Affairs Minister K Rosaiah agreed for a discussion immediately after the Question Hour, the Opposition did not relent, following which the Speaker asked Mr Rosaiah to name the members and announced suspension of 35 members of the TDP, TRS, CPI(M), barring Leader of the Opposition N Chandrababu Naidu.

Later, during a heated debate on the issue, senior TDP Legislator Ch Rajeswara Rao and TRS Floor Leader G Vijayarama Rao claimed that the Chief Minister should not continue in the post and prosecution should be initiated against him for alleged violation of the Andhra Pradesh Assigned Lands Act.

Defending the Chief Minister, T Jeevan Reddy (Cong) maintained that there was no scope for prosecution under section 8 of the Act, as the Chief Minister's family had purchased the land unaware of its ''assigned land'' status.

The House witnessed uproarious scenes when Mr Reddy referred the alleged land holdings of a company owned by the family members of former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, a senior BJP leader from Nellore and a TDP MP from Kadapa in violation of the Act.

The Chief Minister earlier in the House had clarified that his family members, before surrendering, held only 310.57 acres of land and not 618 acres as mentioned by him earlier.

Waving copies of the affidavit filed by the Chief Minister before the election authorities during the last Assembly elections, the TRS leaders claimed that Dr Reddy had no option but to resign and face punishment for the alleged violation of the Act.

UNI SM AJ YA VV1817