Speaker refers issue to Ethics Committee for inquiry: Governor Biswabushan Harichandan

Vijayawada: Assembly Speaker Tammineni Sitaram on Thursday said he would refer the incident of scuffles that took place between the TDP leaders and the Assembly marshals near the entrance of the Assembly gate on Thursday to the Ethics Committee.

He was responding to the discussion on the issue in the Assembly on the fourth day of the winter session. Earlier, the TDP senior legislator Gorantla Butchaiah Chowdary raised the issue during the question hour and said the Assembly marshals had prevented the TDP legislators from entering the premises with placards and badges. He also said the marshals had misbehaved with the party legislators. He demanded that action be taken against the marshals.

Butchhaiah Chowdary alleged that the TDP legislators were insulted in the Assembly and were not given due respect. Former Chief Minister and leader of the Opposition N Chandrababu Naidu too raised the issue and demanded that the Speaker take action against the chief marshal. He alleged the marshals had misbehaved with women MLCs too on Wednesday also.

The YSRCP legislators took objection to the allegations levelled by the TDP leaders. Finance Minister B Rajendranath Reddy asked the Assembly staff to replay the video of scuffle that took place at the entrance of the house. It was clearly visible that Naidu terming Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy as a psycho.

Consequently, the YSRCP members Jogi Ramesh and others demanded that Naidu tender apology for using the word psycho. Senior leaders like Anam Ramanarayana Reddy, Srikanth Reddy and others too spoke on the occasion.

Naidu said it was a common practice for legislators to bring newspapers into the Assembly hall and recalled that he came with newspapers of The Hans India, The New Indian Express and other English dailies. He said it was incorrect to raise objection for bringing the newspapers into the Assembly hall.

When Naidu refused to respond and tender apology, Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy said he would not expect an apology from Naidu and stated that the Opposition leader lacked humanity.

Finally, the Speaker Tammineni Sitaram announced he would go through the incident of scuffle that took place near the Assembly gate and refer it to the Ethics Committee. Responding to the demand made by Chandrababu Naidu that G.O. 2430 should be scrapped, the Chief Minister said there is nothing objectionable in it and the orders were issued empowering the senior officials of various departments to go into the reports in the print media and aired by the electronic media.