Telangana: Debate on draft Bill turns into political slugfest

HYDERABAD: The 'historic' debate on the draft AP Reorganisation Bill-2013 continued in the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly today amid acrimonious scenes and trading of charges as division among parties along regional lines was palpable.

The debate more or less turned into a blame game over the state bifurcation issue as every party indulged in a game of political one-upmanship.

The Telangana faction of the Congress, in particular, sought to target the Telugu Desam Party.

The TDP targeted the Congress, the YSR Congress and the Telangana Rashtra Samiti. And the TRS tried to hit back at the TDP.

In the end, the House was abruptly adjourned for the day as TDP and TRS members engaged in a slugfest.

A reference to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi led to a wordy duel between TDP and Congress legislators and a brief adjournment of the proceedings for ten minutes.

TDP legislator Palle Raghunadha Reddy, who initiated the debate on behalf of his party, alleged that Sonia decided to split Andhra Pradesh only to make her son Rahul Gandhi the Prime Minister.

Panchayat Raj Minister K Jana Reddy took exception to this and wanted the TDP member to withdraw the reference to Sonia Gandhi.

"Is it not a fact that you all people celebrated the announcement of Telangana state and thanked Sonia for that? Have you not celebrated in her name," Raghunadha Reddy questioned.

"Creation of Telangana was a policy decision taken by the Congress of which Sonia is the head," Jana sought to clarify.

Congress' Seemaandhra leaders also objected to Sonia's reference even as TDP MLAs raised slogans against the AICC president.

Subsequently, a wordy duel broke out between Government Chief Whip Gandra Venkata Ramana Reddy and TDP leader Errabilli Dayakar Rao, both hailing from Telangana.