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Congress halts assembly over Mohan Babu's security

The Congress today stalled the proceedings of the Andhra Pradesh assembly for 45 minutes and protested near the speaker's podium, demanding protection for film actor and Rajya Sabha MP Mohan Babu, one of the injured in Wednesday's car bomb blast in Hyderabad which claimed 24 lives.

The trouble started when Speaker Y Ramakrishnudu disallowed an adjournment motion sought to be raised by the Congress on Mohan Babu's reported statement that the blast was a ''hi-tech conspiracy targetted at him''.

The members demanded a response from state Home Minister A Madhav Reddy.

A multi-edition Telugu daily, quoted a confidant of Mohan Babu who was recently expelled from the ruling Telugu Desam party, as saying that the bomb attack was aimed at the star and not Penukonda legislator Paritala Ravi as was being projected by the state government.

Anticipating such a threat to his life, the actor-turned-politician had written to the home minister recently, seeking protection. ''But there is no response so far,'' it said.

The speaker maintained that he would not permit the adjournment motion as the blast issue was discussed in the assembly yesterday for six hours and a condolence motion adopted.

Amid sharp exchanges with the treasury benches, Congress members continued to argue with the chair and some of them staged a dharna on the podium steps. They finally resumed their seats after the speaker suggested that they could raise the issue in a different form during the zero hour.

EARLIER REPORTS:
Prime suspect in car bomb blast surrenders
23 killed as Mohan Babu survives car bomb attack

EARLIER FEATURE:
Controversy is his middle name

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