Resignation offers galore in AP Assembly

Hyderabad, Mar 31 (UNI) A spate of resignation offers were made by Legislative Affairs Minister K Rosaiah and several Congress MLAs after Leader of the Opposition N Chandrababu Naidu levelled corruption charges against them during the debate on the no-confidence motion in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly today.

Congress legislator Y Krishna Reddy even offered to put his head into the hangman's noose if the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president could prove that he had accumulated ''ill-gotten wealth.'' The House was in turmoil and Speaker K R Suresh Reddy had a tough time in bringing order, with several ruling party MLAs staging noisy protest against Mr Naidu's ''sweeping charges'' even as Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy and Mr Rosaiah appealed to them to be calm.

Mr Naidu also referred to the names of a Union Minister and another Congress MP from the State, evoking loud protests from treasury benches.

The irate Legislative Affairs Minister offered ''to resign as MLA and get out of the House'' if he could not prove that TDP Legislator Y Ramakrishnudu had twisted the statement of Congress MLA Konda Surekha, who lamented earlier that why Mr Naidu was unnecessarily dragging the names of the MLAs when the no-confidence motion was against the Ministers.

Another Congress legislator Krishna Rao alleged that Mr Naidu was resorting to ''character assassination and offered to quit as MLA if the charge levelled by the TDP leader against him was proved.

Information Minister A Ramanarayana Reddy threatened to file a defamation suit if Mr Naidu did not withdraw his ''unsubstantiated charge'' that he and his brother A Vivekananda Reddy had contract or sub-contract for some project or tender an unconditional apology. He was ready to face any punishment if the charge was proved.

Maintaining that neither he nor his family members had got any illegal benefits from contracts from the government, Congress MLA Diwakar said he was ready for any punishment and challenged Mr Naidu to subject himself to a probe into his property since 1978.

Congress legislator K Venkata Reddy said neither he nor his family members had got any ''undue benefits,'' and asked whether Mr Naidu was ready to subject himself to a probe into his assets.

The Speaker announced that all the allegations, made against the members without notice, were expunged as also charges against those who could not defend themselves in the House as Mr Naidu refused to apologise or withdraw his remarks.

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