Political Diary

Those who were suspended on Thursday were District Cooperative Central Bank director Manala Mohan Reddy, Morthad mandal parishad president Bombai Narsaiah, Bheemgal MPP Kanne Surender, CDC chairman Naidu Prakash and district Wakf Board chairman Syeeduddin Mukthar.

The Telugu Desam, the main Opposition party, Telugu Desam, appealed to the Speaker to move a resolution on suspending Raghuveera Reddy as well as Health Minister Danam Nagender from the House for making `comments’ against them. TDP members staged a sit-in in the well of the House demanding dismissal of the agriculture minister from the Cabinet and an apology from him to their leader.

The agriculture minister’s reply to a question on services of model farmers during question hour led to heated arguments between the Congress and TDP members.When TDP members interrupted his reply demanding that they be allowed to speak on the matter, the minister said the members were creating a nuisance.

Adding fuel to the fire, Nagender, without holding a mike, asked the agitating TDP members to `shut up’.This led to a ruckus amidst which the Speaker adjourned the House for 10 minutes.The embers of yesterday’s Raghuveera’s comments did not die even after the House reassembled after half an hour. When the TDP members persisted with their demand for an opportunity to speak, the Speaker urged both the ministers and members to show restraint for a smooth conduct of the proceedings.

``I don’t expect any running commentary from the members, specially from the ministers. Ministers should be more restrained,’’ the Speaker said.Referring to the two-day suspension of TDP member E Dayakar Rao from the Assembly recently, TDLP deputy leader P Ashok Gajapathi Raju urged the Speaker to take a similar action against the ministers concerned either by suspending them from the House or censoring them.

Irritated by the TDP member’s argument, Finance and Legislative Affairs Minister K Rosaiah dared the Opposition to move a resolution on their demand. He claimed that suspension of Dayakar Rao was not `one-sided’. He even threatened to leave the House if the Speaker did not stop members from making `running commentary’. ``We (Government) will not agree that the House should be run as per Opposition members’ wish,’’ he asserted.

Sensing further trouble in the House, the Speaker made it clear that he would not allow members of the two sides to speak on the issue.

Dismissing a report in a newspaper that the PRP leadership was thinking of shutting shop, he told reporters here today that if the party did not pick up strength, he would not mind forging alliances with other parties. He, however, did not name the party or parties he had in mind.

Charging two vernacular dailies with launching a vicious campaign against the PRP, he said a section of the media was writing adverse reports to create doubts in the minds of people. ``But people are with the PRP. If I go to districts a large number of people will follow me. I had to defer my tour programme in view of the Assembly session. I will go to people soon.’’

Some MLAs met party general secretary Allu Aravind last night to discuss their future, Chiranjeevi admitted. But none of them wanted Aravind to wind up the party as reported by the media.Internal differences were common to all parties, the PRP chief said.

Curiously, Aravind was not present at the press conference today to explain what exactly had happened the night before.Referring to TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu’s repeated remarks that the PRP was a `smaller party’, Chiranjeevi wanted to know what a smaller party meant. ``The Congress had only 26 MLAs in 1989 and the TDP 46 in the previous House.

Are they smaller parties by that yardstick?’’ he questioned.“I have launched the party and got 70 lakh votes in just eight months. By publishing adverse reports, the media is hurting the sentiments of 70 lakh people. A section of the media, which has a personal agenda of controlling the seat of power, seems to have vowed to eliminate the PRP,’’ Chiranjeevi said.

At a press conference here yesterday, former MLA Jyothula Nehru said the party president was likely to reconstitute the committees at all levels so as to make them functional bodies by October.

On the first day of the meet, Mr Chiranjeevi would tour itinerary to fishermen of Gadimoga, 15 km from Kakinada, where onshore installations of the Ms Reliance gas were situated. He would interact with them on the adverse impact of oil and gas exploration and exploitation activities being carried out in the area by the Reliance Industries Ltd(RIL).

The actor-turned-politician would visit the RIL’s onshore terminal and hold talks with the Industry’s representatives on the relief and rehabilitation packages for the displaced fishermen, besides the gas distribution moralities, the MLA said.

He said later in the day, Mr Chiranjeevi would return to Kakinada, where he would lead a ’’Maha dharna’’ planned to secure lion’s share of KG basin gas in front of the Collectorate.The next day, he would address party workers’ meeting at Spandana hall in Ramanaiahpet and review threadbare the party’s present status and action plan required for rejuvenating the party keeping in view the upcoming local bodies elections.

On September 4, the PRP Chief would proceed to Amalapuram and hold review meetings at Ambedkar Bhavan there and at Rajahmundry.He would return to Hyderabad the next morning.

The former MLA said the preparatory committee was making arrangements to ensure that unprecedented crowds participate in the ’’Maha dharna’’.The Committee also planned constituency-wise agitations from August 24 to August 30 on the issue of KG basin gas, he added.

Party political affairs committee member Metla Satyanarayanarao along with all four PRP MLAs and those who lost the Assembly polls attended the press conference.

Addressing the Chief Minister’s Conference to discuss Internal Security, Dr Reddy said Left extremism had been in existance for the last four decades with the People’s War Group being the dominant group. The emergence of Maoist Party in 2004 was the turning point because it provided an all India network and stature as a revolutionary party, he said.

The traditional land issues taken up by the naxalites were replaced by issues like globalisation and establishment of Special Economic Zones and displacement of population. The result was that their rural appeal had come down excepting in areas where construction, irrigation, mining and industrial activities were taking place.

AP, he said had evolved two organisations-- Special Intelligence Bureau to collect information on top cadres and be the nodal agency for anti-extremist policy and Grey Hounds, the commando units specially trained in jungle warfare. The success of both these agancies were significant with many top ranking underground leaders arrested or killed in encounters by the SIB.

He said in jungle areas, the Grey Hounds had neutralised several armed squads. However, the problem was not confined to AP, but beyond the states like Orissa and Chhattisgarh where Maoists were operating with all India command structure, whereas the states pursued different strategies with different levels of fighting.

Rewarding those who helped neutralisation of underground extremists with ex-gratia payments and employment to the dependant family member of victims was yielding good results.

Action plan was prepared for implementation of various developmental programmes like distribution of land, providing employment to unemployed youth, infrastructure facilities -- road connectivity, protected drinking water, construction of schools, colleges and hostels and electrification of remote rural areas to check extremist activities, the AP CM added.

Most derived support from poverty, hunger and lack of gainful employment as development was the best weapon to win the hearts, he said.He said the Government had given rights to 1,81,919 eligible tribal families to the extent of 12,71,729 acres of land till under the Traditional Dwellers Act 2006. The Government had initiated land development at 120,000 crore under NREGP for tribal families in the lands given to them. Rubber planationaton in 31,000 acres were taken to benefit 15,000 tribal population at the cost of 150 crore and coffee plantation in 1.04 lakh acrese to benefit 100,000 tribal families.

Talking on Lashkar terror, he said the last offence was in August 2007, in which 24 people were killed in twin blasts and the Government responded by creating an anti-terror commando organisation -- Octopus to function on the lines of NSG. The training for Octopus was nearing completion and the teams would be ready in a few days and would be deployed in important cities to protect iconic targets.

Dr Reddy said the state had 1000 km long coastline close to Bangladesh and Myanmar. The coast also had several vital installations like Sriharikota, Eastern Naval Command, Krishna Godavari basin and several major and minor ports. The state had set up six Marine Police Stations in the first phase and the Centre had provided funds for housing Police Stations, purchas of vehicles.

The infrastructure was very meager and the personnel have to be equipped with speedboats and other necessary gadgets, he added.

BJP leaders, including M Venkaiah Naidu, Party Legislator G Kishen Reddy and national spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy, were among those arrested for conducting ’Chalo Assembly’ agitation, protesting against the rising prices of essential commodities, here today.

According to the police, nearly 700 BJP workers and leaders took out a ’Chalo Assembly’ procession from Baghlingampally to the state Assembly in protest against the steep hike in prices of essential commodities.

When they reached near P Siva Reddy Eye Hospital near Old MLA Quarters, police took them into preventive custody.Those who participated in the agitation included State President and former Union Minister Bandaru Dattatreya, national Secretary N Indrasena Reddy, BJP Greater Hyderabad President Chintala Ramachandra Reddy and others.

However, they were later released, police said.

Members of the opposition Telangana Rashtra Samiti(TRS) today staged a walkout from the Andhra Pradesh Assembly, protesting the State Government’s failure to stop Maharashtra from going ahead with Babli and other barrages.

Dissatisfied with Major Irrigation Minister P Lakshmaiah’s reply on the steps taken by the Government in protecting the state’s interest on riparian issues with Maharashtra and Karnataka, TRS floor leader E Rajender led his party colleagues out of the House during Question Hour.

The TRS assailed the ruling Congress for not ensuring release of at least five to 10 TMC of Godavari waters to meet the drinking water shortage in drought-hit Telangana region.

Meanwhile, TDP legislator D Umamaheswara Rao rushed to the well of the House and disrupted the proceedings for some time, alleging that the Congress government was unable to protect the state’s interest as the Chief Minister’s family members were involved in the construction of a hydel power project across Krishna in Karnataka.

The TDP member returned to his seat only after Speaker N Kirankumar Reddy threatened to suspend him.Legislative Affairs Minister K Rosaiah assured the House that the Government would lead an all-party delegation to New Delhi after receiving an appointment from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly had some lighter moments today, with ruling and opposition members using the forum to outwit each other with their remarks on rain God ’Varuna’, which has been playing truant in the state.

Participating in a short duration discussion on drought, Communist Party of India(Marxist)(CPI(M)) member J Ranga Reddy sent the House into peals of laughter while sarcastically suggesting that ’’Agriculture Minister N Raghuveera Reddy be sent by the aircraft used for cloud seeding to tender an apology to the rain God, who has not showered his blessings on the state as he was upset with the ruling Congress for misusing funds allocated for it.’’

He also objected to Congress leaders boasting that the state had been witnessing copious rains in the last five years as the ’’rain God was with the Congress party.’’ The Agriculture Minister retorted to this saying, ’’I am ready to fly with CPI(M) member accompanying me to ascertain whether I had in fact apologised to Varuna.’’

Intervening Legislative Affairs Minister K Rosaiah said he was happy that a member from a party, which practised atheism, was believing in God. The ruling Congress, in fact, enjoyed the blessings of Lord Varuna and only because of this, the nation and the state had received good rains in the past, he added.

Dismissing as ’’superstition’’, the performance of ’’yagna’’ with state funds to appease the rain God, Lok Satta Party MLA Jayapraksh Narayan sarcastically suggested that Mr Rosaiah, instead of imposing taxes on people, perform ’’Yagna’’ to Goddess Lakshmi to fill the coffers and also propitiate Goddess Saraswati to find a solution to illiteracy.

Later, senior TDP legislator N Janardhan Reddy wondered whether the rain God had run away to neighbouring China