The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Heated debate over `Big Boss' issue

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jul 28, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Heated debate over `Big Boss' issue

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, JULY 27. The issue of "Who is the Big Boss" continued to haunt the Andhra Pradesh Assembly, with the Congress members on Tuesday demanding CBI enquiry to identify "him" and the alleged payment of Rs. 3 crores made by the Konaseema Power Corporation Limited to "him" through a letter. They said the CB-CID enquiry announced by the Finance Minister, K. Rosaiah, was not enough.

Sparks flew over the payoff issue and it was debated for well over three hours, amid angry exchanges between Congress and TDP members, challenges and counter-challenges and a wordy duel between Mr. Rosaiah and the TDP member, E. Dayakar Rao.

When an angry Mr. Rosaiah made certain remarks against Mr. Dayakar Rao, the latter protested by sitting on the steps of the Speaker's podium and demanding that the Minister withdraw them or prove the charges.

Half- an- hour of noisy scenes that saw challenges of quitting both by

Mr. Rosaiah and Mr. Dayakar Rao, the former withdrew his remarks and appealed to the Chair to remove them from the records, as they seemed to have hurt the Telugu Desam members.

TDP viewpoint

The debate on the subject that came up through a notice under rule 304, began after the House discussed for an hour, the "technicalities".

The Opposition Telugu Desam viewpoint, as articulated by Yanamala Ramakrishnudu was that the House should first settle if the letter where the pay off issue finds mention was genuine or forged. The House cannot discuss a forged document.

On the other hand, Mr. Rosaiah's argument was that only an enquiry could bring out this fact. He said the TDP was stalling the proceedings on mere technicalities, to ensure that the debate does not take place. The Speaker, K. R. Suresh Reddy, solved the procedural wrangle by his ruling. He said the notice has been admitted and the Government would reply on the authenticity of the letter.

D. L. Ravindra Reddy (Congress) who initiated the debate and his party colleague, G. Venkat Reddy, said the CB-CID enquiry would not be able to do justice and demanded a CBI probe. They said the authenticity was proved as the letter was submitted as an affidavit in a Singapore court.

P. Keshav (TDP) said the Government was creating a dubious record by ordering 11 enquiries in a span of 30 days. The letter was proved to be forged by an international expert and the judiciary and denied by the purported giver and the receiver.

YSR intervenes

Intervening in the debate, the Chief Minister, Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, wondered why TDP members were scared of facing the debate and not ordered enquiry into the veracity of the letter. If the letter was forged why no was action taken against the legislator (who had raised the issue in Assembly in September last year) who had now joined TDP.

Responding the Leader of the Opposition, N. Chandrababu Naidu, turned emotional and said an issue is being made out of a forged letter.

The party was not scared of facing the debate and the enquiry. The Congress was acting with vengeance and ordering enquiry into every thing, to settle political scores. He made a comment against the Chief Minister and the Speaker promptly expunged it.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Andhra Pradesh