THREATS AND ACCUSATIONS!! AP Speaker Dismisses Jagan Mohan Reddy's Attempts To Become LOP
The Speaker said the communication he received from Jagan Mohan Reddy in June 2024 was replete with accusations, threats, and fallacious arguments.
Andhra Pradesh Assembly Speaker Ayyanna Patrudu on Wednesday rejected the plea of former Chief Minister and YSR Congress Party leader Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy to recognise him as the Leader of the Opposition. The Speaker said the "unreasonable desire" of Jagan for recognition as the Leader of the Opposition cannot be considered.
In the 175-member State Assembly, the YSR Congress party has secured only 11 seats as against the minimum strength of 18 to consider the leader of such a party to become the LoP, he said.
The Speaker said the communication he received from Jagan Mohan Reddy in June 2024 was replete with "accusations, threats, and fallacious arguments, all aimed at asserting his sense of entitlement to be recognised as the Leader of the Opposition".
Jagan also approached the High Court, seeking a direction from the Secretary to the Legislative Assembly and the Secretary to the Speaker to designate him as the 'Leader of the Opposition' in the Legislative Assembly.
Ayyanna Patrudu said certain news reports quoting Jagan Mohan Reddy's "audacious" claims that the High Court "issued summons to the Speaker" and "gave directions to the Speaker to pass orders" were brought to his notice.
"The fact is that his writ petition, as of today, is not even admitted by Hon'ble High Court. I am not surprised by the repeated malicious and vitriolic campaign being carried out by Sri Jagan Mohan Reddy. It is consistent with the baseless allegations made by him in his accusatory communication dated 24.06.2024. On this occasion, he has gone so far as to attribute his speculative assertions to the Hon'ble High Court. Regrettably, this is characteristic of his approach," the Speaker said.
The Speaker dismissed Jagan Mohan Reddy's argument that the sequence in which he was called to take oath as a member of the Assembly on June 21 implied a decision to deny him the status of Leader of the Opposition. He maintained that the oath-taking procedure was in strict adherence to established conventions
He pointed out that the official communication regarding the election of Jagan Mohan Reddy as the Leader of the YSRC Legislature Party was received by the Secretariat only on June 26. “The question, therefore, arises: In the absence of such communication, could any claim for recognition have been considered? Especially, even before the election of the Speaker ?" he asked.
"The eligibility for the position of Leader of Opposition is determined solely in accordance with constitutional provisions, legal mandates, and established precedents," the Speaker said in his ruling.
The Speaker cited various rules of the Andhra Pradesh Payment of Salaries and Pension and Removal of Disqualifications Act, 1953 and the examples from the 16th and 17th Lok Sabha in favour of his ruling.
