The Congress on Monday accused the Narendra Modi government of “deliberately” not allowing voting on a private member’s bill on giving special status to Andhra Pradesh last week.
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However, following a Whip from the party’s high command which is determined to see the bill passed in Rajya Sabha, Chiru was forced to cancel his film’s shooting and fly to New Delhi to take part in the voting process and vote in favour of KVP’s bill. Congress party had issued a whip asking all its 60 members in the 243-member Upper House to be present and vote for the bill.
He made it clear that the opposition party does not want anything else discussed until the Andhra bill is taken up. Addressing a press conference here, Mr Reddy said nine National parties had announced the support to the bill, moved by Congress MP K V P Ramachandra Rao, but the TDP-BJP duo foiled the debate and voting on the bill.
The Congress party, he said, was not coming in the way of government business but registering its protest over the way an important bill was scuttled.
Asked if the Congress will continue disrupting the house over the issue in the days to come, Ramesh said that “tomorrow is another day”, but the issue will be raised.
“We have demanded it in order to contain inflation and to ensure that (tax) burden does not go to common people”, he said.
“The situation was entirely the creation of government”, the Congress leader said, demanding that the bill be listed as item number one when Private Member business is listed.
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Kurien then gave a ruling and explained that the day for private members’ bill can not be changed immediately, and even if the process is initiated it will not mean the bill on Andhra Pradesh would be taken up immediately.
