Some personal remarks made by Congress MLA Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy against Minister for Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development Talasani Srinivas Yadav during the debate on voting on demands for grants in the Assembly on Monday led to heated exchanges between the Treasury benches and the MLA disrupting the proceedings for about half-an-hour.
The issue subsided when Mr. Rajagopal Reddy withdrew his remarks stating that he would withdraw his remarks in case they hurt the Minister and said he was forced to make such comments as he too was hurt as the Minister had termed him a ’contractor’ repeatedly. He said he left the contractor profession in 2009 itself and now was only an elected representative.
The Congress member made some personal remarks against Mr. Srinivas Yadav after the latter, during an intervention, said Mr. Rajagopal Reddy would always speak on contracts since he was a contractor. As part of debate on demands for grants, Mr. Rajagopal Reddy said large-scale corruption had taken place in irrigation and other major contract works in Telangana and he would prostrate before TRS leader in case his allegations were proved wrong.
Once the Congress member made personal remarks against Mr. Srinivas Yadav, several members of the Treasury benches were on their feet opposing Mr. Reddy’s remarks and demanded an unconditional apology. Some of them also went into the well before Speaker P. Srinivas Reddy made them to go back to their seats.
Legislative Affairs Minister V. Prashanth Reddy, in his intervention, said the Congress member’s comments against Mr. Srinivas Yadav were purely personal and unparliamentary and there was nothing personal or unparliamentary about the contractor remark made by Mr. Yadav since it was a profession. He also faulted the Congress members’ corruption allegations in irrigation contracts and suggested him to go to courts or vigilance commission or any other investigating agency, if he had any proof.
Mr. Prashanth Reddy further stated that the Congress member was speaking about corruption in contracts as those close to him did not get contracts. Although several members of Treasury benches were demanding moving of motion for suspension of the Congress member, the Legislative Affairs Minister said he would leave the issue to the conscience of Mr. Rajagopal Reddy as he did not seek an apology but only withdrew his comments.
