YSR's Jagan rebuked for making insinuations against AP Speaker

YSR Congress president and Leader of Opposition in Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly, Y S Jaganmohan Reddy attracted Speaker Kodela Sivaprasada Rao's wrath on the first day of the Winter Session today after he sought to cast aspersions on the latter in the House.

Jagan alleged that the Speaker was trying to 'insult' him by not allowing him to speak after Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu in the House, on a condolence motion.

"It is a tradition that the Leader of Opposition speaks after the Leader of the House. But I was denied an opportunity. The Speaker should follow the traditions," Jagan remarked, as the House took up a motion condoling the death of sitting Tirupati MLA M Venkata Ramana.

"Don't make an issue of it. Soon after the Chief Minister spoke, I turned to you. But you did not respond, so other members including those from your party spoke," the Speaker told the Opposition leader.

Jagan did not stop at that and sought to blame the Chief Minister for the legislator's death due to heart attack on Monday.

"You went to Singapore along with corporates in a corporate flight. Had you taken Venkata Ramana to Singapore (for treatment) in the corporate flight, we would not be speaking like this here today," the YSRC leader remarked, provoking an angry reaction from the Treasury benches.

Earlier, the Chief Minister said the MLA's family initially wanted to take him to Singapore for treatment of his heart ailment but subsequently he was taken to Apollo hospital in Chennai as the situation warranted.

"He underwent a bypass surgery but he succumbed because of post-operation complications," Chandrababu added.

Venkata Ramana's death was a big loss for the Telugu Desam Party, he added.