AP assembly: Jagan refuses to budge; can’t terrorise the House, say members

Hyderabad: Refusing to either apologise to the House or withdraw his "unparliamentary" remark made on Friday, YSRC president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy on Saturday led his MLAs in a walk-out from the Andhra Pradesh Assembly even as Speaker Kodela Siva Prasada Rao and Legislative Affairs Minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu sought to end the pandemonium.

The ruling TDP members, however, persisted with their demand that the Leader of Opposition tender an apology to the House for using unparliamentary language against the legislators.

The Speaker said the Opposition leader should have observed restraint in using the language in the House and, at the same time, asked the ruling party members also to be restrained.

"The ruling party members are seeking an apology. I have asked you to withdraw your remark. It will not go into the record. I leave it to your wisdom," the Speaker told Jagan.

Every member should conduct in a manner that would enhance dignity of the House, he added.

The Legislative Affairs Minister said the Opposition leader need not be egoistic and could apologise to the House or withdraw the unparliamentary remark.

"There were instances in the past when even members who were considered stalwarts withdrew their remarks if they were wrong. Even I tendered an apology to the House on an earlier occasion. There is nothing wrong in it," Yanamala observed.

But their pleas fell on deaf ears as neither the Opposition leader nor his party colleagues appeared willing to withdraw the controversial remark.

Instead, alleging the ruling party of trying to stifle their voice, the YSRC members staged a walk-out from the House.

Later when the short duration discussion on law and order resumed, TDP and BJP members launched a frontal attack on Jagan, accusing him of trying to apply terror tactics in the House.

"He is behaving like a faction leader and not the Leader of Opposition," they lashed out.

BJP member Vishnu Kumar Raju suggested that Jagan take a 15-day break to "cool his mind" and come back to the House. "If required, I will personally go to Jagan and request him to be restrained. He can't terrorise the House or the members," the BJP legislator said, as Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and other members burst into laughter.