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Telugu Desam Party legislators hold demonstration against GO 938

Special Correspondent

Party decides to move privilege motion against A.P. Chief Minister

HYDERABAD: Sixteen Telugu Desam Party MLAs staged a sit-in "dharna" in front of Chief Secretary J. Harinarayan's office at the Secretariat on Monday evening demanding that he show the file notings relating to the controversial anti-media Government Order No. 938.

They called off their protest after an hour and announced the party's decision to move a privilege motion against Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy for misleading the Assembly on the issuance of the GO. The Chief Minister had claimed that he was not aware of the GO, whereas the Chief Secretary on Monday confirmed that both of them had indeed signed the note file and the draft, they claimed.

Led by their Deputy Leader, N. Janardhan Reddy, the MLAs trooped into the Chief Secretary's office and spent about ten minutes pressing their demand. Dr. Reddy said Mr. Harinarayan went out seeking some time to consult the Chief Minister over the issue. Five minutes later, he returned and told them that he would convey to them whether he could show them the file notings around 11 a.m. on Tuesday. The Chief Secretary wanted the TDP legislators to file an application under the Right to Information Act.

Slogans raised

"It is surprising that legislators are being denied basic information about a GO, giving a goodbye to transparency and accountability," Dr. Janardhan Reddy said, explaining why they had to stage a `dharna'. "This Government has no faith in democratic institutions like the Assembly, Opposition and press," P. Keshav, a party legislator, added. They called off the dharna shouting slogans like "Down with YSR's dictatorship" and "Protect press freedom." Earlier in the day, slogan-shouting TDP members briefly stalled the Assembly proceedings demanding a statement by the Government on the issuance and subsequent withdrawal of GO 938.

Making a zero-hour mention, Mr. Keshav hit out at the Government for issuing the order and trying to `trample' constitutional rights. He wanted files relating to the GO to be tabled. Not satisfied with Revenue Minister D. Prasada Rao's reply that the mention was noted, Mr. Keshav insisted on a statement. Speaker K. R. Suresh Reddy asked him to give a notice if he wanted a statement. Finance Minister K.Rosaiah rejected the demand.

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