Andhra assembly adjourned again

The liquor mafia and the issue of Telangana saw the Andhra Pradesh assembly adjourned without any business as the opposition stalled proceedings for the second consecutive day Wednesday.

Speaker N. Manohar adjourned the house for the day as the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) insisted on a debate on liquor syndicates, allegedly involving some ministers, while the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) demanded a resolution for separate statehood to Telangana region.

As soon as the house met Wednesday, TDP legislators insisted that their adjournment motion on liquor syndicate be allowed. The speaker rejected the adjournment motions, including the one moved by TRS.

The opposition members then rushed to the speaker’s podium and raised slogans.

Amid the din, Legislative Affairs Minister D. Sridhar Babu said the government was prepared to debate any issue. As the members refused to resume their seats, the speaker adjourned the house for 15 minutes.

The TDP also boycotted the meet of the floor leaders of all parties called by the speaker to resolve the deadlock.

When the house reassembled, there was no change in the situation. Opposition members continued to shout slogans.

Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy intervened to say that his government was ready for a debate. He said the opposition could raise any issue during the debate on the motion of thanks for the governor’s address.

Repeated appeals by the speaker to the members to cooperate fell on deaf ears. Manohar then adjourned the house for the day.

The TDP has demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the liquor mafia. TDP leader G. Muddukrishnama Naidu questioned the silence of the chief minister despite allegations against four ministers.

Congress chief Botsa Satyanarayana, who is also minister for transport, hit back at TDP president Chandrababu Naidu, saying he was trying to raise the issue of liquor in the assembly for his personal ends.

“There are many problems in the state but Chandrababu Naidu is interested only in the liquor issue for his vested interests,” Satyanarayana said.

Rejecting the TDP’s allegations of his involvement in the liquor syndicate, Satyanarayana told reporters that his relatives, who were into the liquor business, were all law abiding.

The recent raids by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) exposed liquor syndicates involving politicians, excise officials, liquor traders and media. The syndicates are formed to sell liquor at higher price and indulge in other irregularities.

TRS floor leader E. Rajender said his party would not allow the house to function unless a resolution urging the central government to immediately carve out separate Telangana state was passed.