Legislators of the Seemandhra region refused to allow discussions on the State Reorganisation Bill.
The proceedings of the Andhra Pradesh State Legislative Assembly remained disrupted on Wednesday, with the legislators of the Seemandhra region refusing to allow discussions on the State Reorganisation Bill.
The House could not function for even two minutes, despite being adjourned twice. As soon as the House met at 9am, Seemandhra MLAs of TDP and YSRCP surrounded the podium of Speaker Nadendla Manohar, and raised slogans in favour of a united Andhra Pradesh. Meanwhile, the YSRCP and TDP MLAs gave separate notices for adjournment motions, seeking a resolution in the House on a united Andhra Pradesh. The CPI's Mallesh made an adjournment motion, seeking a debate on the Telangana Bill.
Legislators from TDP, YSRCP and other parties created so much of a furore with their slogan-shouting that it made the voice of the Speaker inaudible. The Speaker then adjourned the House for one hour.
Similar scenes were witnessed when the House re-assembled at 10:15am. The Speaker then announced that all questions listed for the Question Hour have been postponed, and that following the pandemonium, he was forced to adjourn the House again for half-an-hour. However, the House met again only after 1pm.
There were some interesting scenes in the House before the House met after two adjournments. Led by deputy floor leader T Harish Rao, TRS MLAs tried to barricade the Speaker's podium with a human chain. However, some TDP and YSRCP MLAs managed to reach the podium, and the TRS MLAs were seen pleading with the Seemandhra legislators to cooperate with the discussions on the Telangana Bill. Harish Rao and another TRS MLA, E Kamalakar, in a polite manner, bodily lifted TDP's P Keshav and YSRCP's Vallabh Rao on their shoulders to their respective seats.
In another instance, while Seemandhra legislators were busy shouting slogans, some MLAs played mischief by ringing the Assembly thrice unofficially, at 1:10pm, 1:12pm and 1:17pm.
On one occasion, Assembly Secretary S Raja Sadaram entered the House, and was seen rebuking the marshalls.
Some Seemandhra members copies of the Telangana Bill and threw it near the Speaker's podium. Meanwhile, at around 1:22pm, the House re-assembled again. Following continuance of the uproar, the Speaker adjourned the House to meet again at 9am on Thursday. (INN)