TDP demands apology, suspension of YSV for 'attacking' MLA

Describing the ‘Attack’ on his party MLA similar to the act of a ‘street rowdy’, Telugu Desam Party Deputy Floor Leader Ashok Gajapathi Raju on Monday demanded that Agriculture Minister YS Vivekananda Reddy and Congress MLAs allegedly supporting former Kadapa MP YS Jaganmohan Reddy from the Assembly.

Earlier, the Agriculture Minister had gone over to snatch a placard from the hands of Mr Chintamaneni Prabhakar. The ensuing ‘scuffle’ resulted in the TDP alleging that Mr Vivekananda Reddy had physically Attacked the MLA. The Jagan group MLAs too had rushed to ‘help’ the Agriculture Minister.

The controversial placard had described former chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy as a thief.

Talking to media persons at Assembly Media Point, Mr Ashok Gajapati Raju stated the Minister has no confidence on democratic principles that was the reason behind him obstructing the Joint Legislative Committee probe into the land allotments took place during YSR tenure.

The former TDP minister also alleged that the Minister was behaving like a ‘street rowdy’ and disrespecting the House.

Mr Ashok Gajapathi Raju appealed to Deputy Speaker Nadendla Manohar to order a probe into the ‘Attack’ and make the video clippings of the incident to the media so that the public can judge for itself. The TDP leader also questioned why Mr Vivekananda Reddy was so riled when his party displayed placards against his brother and former chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy, especially when he had not raised any objections when the Jagan group MLAs had displayed placards against TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu.

The TDP stated that the MLAs have freedom to express their views on any issue. “The House should discuss the issues raised by MLAs and the Minister concerned has to give answer on the question. If the Minister resorts to Attacks instead of giving answers, where does that leave the common man?” he asked.

He also demanded that the Minister and the Chief Minister should apologise to the people of the state on the behalf of the House and take steps that such incidents are not repeated in the future.

Appealing to the Deputy Speaker to take stringent action against the Minister and MLAs, Mr Ashok Gajapathi Raju also demanded that Mr Vivekananda Reddy withdraw the foul language he had allegedly used against Mr Chintamaneni Prabhakar.

He said the Jagan group MLAs and the Agriculture Minister are diverting the attention of House from the JLC probe into corruption in land allotments since their fear that their names would be revealed in any such investigations.

TDP MLA from Telangana region Errabelli Dayakar Rao too demanded a probe into the incident. He also demanded the suspension of the Minister from the Cabinet and strict action against the Congress MLAs.

Mr Dayakar Rao said the TDP Telangana MLAs will attend House to extend solidarity and moral support to TDP MLAs on this issue.

TDP MLA Revanth Reddy said the Deputy Speaker should take a fair decision on the issue as he suspended TRS MLAs when they knocked over the chair of the Governor during his address on the opening day of the Budget Session.

Condemning the incident, another party MLA Kunamneni Sambhasiva Rao demanded Deputy Speaker Nadendla Manohar to order the registration of a criminal case against the Minister.

About 30 MLAs including Revanth Reddy, Motkupalli Narasimhulu, E Srinivas and others were present in the press conference.