Telangana Rashtra Samiti relents after initial protests in Andhra assembly

The winter session of the Andhra Pradesh Assembly began here today amid renewed agitation for separate Telangana state, and the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) members obstructing the proceedings demanding that the house first take up the Telangana issue.

As TRS MLAs Ravinder Reddy, Vidyasagar and others sought a debate on the issue, the speaker urged them to be seated, as the house was to take up a condolence motion on the death of former chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy.

Senior Congress MLA and former home minister K Jana Reddy was also seen persuading the TRS members, who relented subsequently.

Condoling the death of Rajasekhara Reddy, chief minister K Rosaiah said development schemes were taken up on an unprecedented scale by the late chief minister.

"The Rs2-a-kg-rice scheme, Arogya Sri health insurance scheme, 'Jalayagnam' projects (irrigation mission) are a testimony to his commitment to serve the poor," Rosaiah said.      

Opposition leader N Chandrababu Naidu said he and Rajasekhara Reddy started their political careers in the same year, and served as ministers in the same cabinet of T Anjaiah.

The TDP opposed Reddy only on public issues and there was nothing personal in it, he said.

Hailing the leadership qualities of Reddy, Praja Rajyam president Chiranjeevi said he tried to learn from the former chief minister.