“Does Jagan, who has worked as an MP, opposition leader and CM in the past, not know the rules of the Legislative Assembly?” asked Assembly Deputy Speaker Raghuramakrishna Raju. He expressed his anger over the comments made by former Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy over opposition status.
He made it clear that if any member of the Assembly does not attend meetings for 60 consecutive days without taking permission from the Speaker, that member will be disqualified. He said this matter is very clear in Article 190(4) of the Constitution. Similarly, he said that it is also clearly mentioned in Clause 187(2) of the Assembly Rules.
The Deputy Speaker pointed out that the Assembly Rules are available online and can be checked if desired. He said that if the YSRCP president, advisors and MLAs look at those rules, they will understand who is misleading whom.
“The amount of time to be given to opposition members in the House depends on the strength of the respective parties. Every day during the question and answer period, two questions are being asked by YCP members. But none of them are in the House. If they speak with courtesy and culture, there are chances of being given a little more time in the House,” she said.
Meanwhile, Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha lamented that the opposition status that YCP chief Jagan is asking for is not chocolate or biscuits. She asserted that it should be given to him as soon as he behaves like a child and it should be given by the people.
“The status of MLA is a great blessing in politics. At least once in the Assembly, one has to speak as the President. Is Jagan a good person? YCP MLAs have lost that privilege. How can they criticize by staying outside and not coming to the Assembly?” she asked.
Anitha recalled that when YCP was in power, Chandrababu Naidu was the only opposition leader who left the Assembly, while all the TDP MLAs stood up and fought in the House. As Jagan is currently the only MLA for Pulivendula, she advised him that he should speak in the Assembly in that capacity.