Dark day for democracy: Chandrababu Naidu

Hyderabad, Feb.11: The leader of the opposition Mr. N. Chandrababu Naidu has said that Wednesday was a dark day in the history of Indian democracy.

Talking to newsmen after the Assembly was adjourned amid din and the members of the Grand Alliance sat in dharna in the Assembly campus, Mr. Naidu has alleged that what has happened in the House was a pre-meditated attack on the opposition and the democracy. While the Chief Minister gave a two-hour reply to the debate on the Satyam Scam, he has avoided replying to the queries of the opposition and the Deputy Speaker Ms. G. Kuthuhalamma who was in the chair had adjourned the house abruptly though the opposition was not satisfied about the proceedings.

Mr. Naidu said the 14 companies run by the Chief Minister's family were indulging in money laundering and when the opposition questioned about it, instead of giving a reply, Dr. Reddy was mounting a counter attack. He was bringing even the family members of opposition members in to the House debate. He said when the opposition parties posed pointed questions about these companies, the Chief Minister instead of giving a straight reply talked about his (Naidu) making Ramalinga Raju sit beside the then US President Mr. Bill Clinton and Rama Linga Raju's son studying with his son Lokesh in the US. Without replying to any of their queries, the government adjourned the House and ran away, he alleged.

The former Chief Minister has alleged that several companies which had invested in the Sakshi newspaper owned by the Chief Minister's son Mr. Jagan Mohana Reddy were offered SEZ lands. He said though the Assembly was adjourned thrice, the Speaker had not called the opposition into his chambers and talked to them. He has expressed doubts that what had happened in the Assembly was a pre-planned attack on the opposition.

Stating that the opposition had not even gone into the podium, he has said why they were suspended needed to be explained. Alleging that the Marshals had beaten up the opposition members, he said Mr. Vem Narender Reddy's hand got fractured and CPI(M) member Julakanti Ranga Reddy sustained severe injuries. The Marshals used obscene language against women members and even roughed them up, he said.

Mr. Naidu has alleged that several of the companies owned by the Chief Minister's family were collecting money from investors soon after laying a foundation stone, even without starting production. He said the financial position of Sakshi News paper and Indira TV to be launched by that group were artificially hiked to attract investments. He has demanded an enquiry by a sitting judge in to the affairs of all these companies.

Charging the Chief Minister of connivance in the Satyam scam, Mr. Naidu has alleged that only to save the Satyam company the Chief Minister had ordered CBCID enquiry into the matter, without handing it over to the CBI.

He said if the Chief Minister thought that he could close the issue by getting the Assembly adjourned abruptly, he was wrong. He has warned that the opposition would continue the agitation outside, till the logical end.

Mr. Etela Rajender, floor leader of the TRS called what happened in the House an attack on democracy. He said the ruling party would have to pay a heavy price for it. He has alleged that the government instead of clarifying the genuine doubts of the opposition, ran away from the scene. He has alleged that while the 22 MW power project of the Chief Minister's son would not even cost Rs. 100 crores, its value was hiked to Rs. 1200, to attract money from the investors. He said the people were watching what was happening and would give a fitting reply to the ruling party.

Mr. Chada Venkata Reddy, floor leader of the CPI has said that the Chief Minister who gave a two-hour reply to the debate on the Satyam scam, had no courage to reply to the questions of the opposition and resorted to an attack on them.

Stating that the events were reminiscent of the emergency days, Mr. Devineni Uma Maheswara Rao (TDP) warned that the people would give the Congress a befitting reply in the ensuing elections.

Mr. Julakanti Ranga Reddy (CPIM) has described the action of the Speaker in suspending the opposition members as a unilateral decision. Alleging that the Chief Minister and his family were robbing the state of hundreds of crores of rupees, he said when the opposition members raised some genuine questions, their voices were gagged. They even tried to blindfold the media, he said. "Women had no protection. Prisoners in the jail are not safe. Those who walk on the roads are not safe. Now it became known to us that MLAs also had no protection even inside the House," he added. He said all those who respect democracy should condemn what had happened today in the house.