Jagan MLAs join opposition protest in assembly

Legislators owing allegiance to YS Jaganmohan Reddy joined the opposition for the first time in the Andhra Pradesh assembly on Friday for anti-government protests, compounding the problems of the ruling Congress, which is already battling Telangana activists, both inside and outside the House.

Legislators owing allegiance to YS Jaganmohan Reddy joined the opposition for the first time in the Andhra Pradesh assembly on Friday for anti-government protests, compounding the problems of the ruling Congress, which is already battling Telangana activists, both inside and outside the House.

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The Jagan camp supported the opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) demand that the government release funds for reimbursement of students’ tuition fees to private professional colleges.

Jagan’s father and former CM late YS Rajasekhara Reddy promised the reimbursement before the 2009 polls. Now, it is proving tough for the Kiran Kumar Reddy government to bear the burden, estimated at R3,500 crore. As the protests raged in the assembly, Jagan began a week-long fast in a city park demanding the reimbursement.

Earlier, five pro-Telangana MLAs were suspended for seven days for heckling governor ESL Narasimhan during his address to the House on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the police have registered a case against the driver of a TRS MLA who had assaulted Lok Satta president and MLA Jaya Prakash Narayan on the assembly premises after he spoke to the media and condemned disruption of the governor’s speech. HTC