Why things will never change.

from the Deccan Chronicle. Tuesday 2nd December.

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Legislators laugh insensitively

Hyderabad Dec. 1: Several members laughed, stood in groups and chatted when the Assembly was discussing the Mumbai terror attack and a motion condoling the death of civilians, police and Army personnel on Monday. Despite this, speaker after speaker expressed concern over the image of the politicians falling after the terror attack and seemed to wonder why it was so. The Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, burst into laughter more than once, reacting to something that the panchayat raj minister, Mr J.C. Diwakar Reddy was saying. The Congress MLAs, Mr K. Venkata Reddy, Mr N. Diwakar Rao and whip Mr D. Sridhar Babu were engrossed in a discussion at the back benches. On the Opposition side, the Telugu Desam legislators, Mr D. Narendra, Mr K. Achannaidu and Mr P. Keshav chatted gaily. Disregarding the solemnity of the occasion, several members went up to the Chief Minister with petitions and pleas, a common practice at other times. This was too much for Speaker, Mr K.R. Suresh Reddy, who told the members to leave the House if they were not participating in the debate. He had to remind the legislators that the House was working on a condolence motion. “Please do not stand. Resume your seats,” the Speaker said. “Leave the House if you are not participating in the debate. We are on a condolence motion.” For the record, the House did fall silent after the Speaker’s admonishment, The usual chattering continued aftewards, however. During the debate on condolence motion on demise of former prime minister V.P. Singh, Mr Manikya Vara Prasad (Congress, Tadikonda) did not leave opportunity to shower praises on Dr Reddy. Maintaining that he had a great liking for prime ministers Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and V.P. Singh the MLA went on to say twice — that the Chief Minister’s programmes reflected Indira Gandhi’s efforts to uplift the poor. The TD deputy floor leader, Mr Nagam Janardhan Reddy, gestured to the Speaker, wondering what was going on