Alleging an attack by TDP members on the Speaker and dalit MLAs in the House, the YSR Congress sought stringent action against the perpetrators.
Alleging an attack by TDP members on the Speaker and dalit MLAs in the House, the YSR Congress Party termed Monday a black day for democracy, and sought stringent action against the perpetrators.
Speaking at the media point outside the Assembly in Amaravathi today, YSRCP MLAs narrated an alleged sequence of events in which the Speaker Tammineni Sitaram, who hailed from the BC community, was "attacked", and dalit members were "assaulted" by TDP members under the direction of Chandrababu Naidu.
MLA V R Eliza said that the TDP members, acting according to a plan, en masse attacked and manhandled the Speaker during the day's session.
TDP MLA Bala Veeranjaneya Swamy, who was positioned in the front as per a conspiracy, rushed to the Speaker's podium in a threatening manner and manhandled him, Eliza claimed.
"When I tried to stop the attack on the Speaker, the TDP MLA pushed me aside. Then MLA Sudhakar Babu intervened, but he too was attacked by Veeranjaneya Swamy," Eliza said.
He demanded that cases be filed against the erring TDP MLAs under the SC, ST Atrocities (Prevention) Act for attacking the dalit MLA.
The TDP MLAs, acting upon the directions of Chandrababu Naidu, had in general thrown the ethics of the House to the winds and were trying to stall the proceedings on a daily basis, Eliza claimed.
Sudhakar Babu, who also addressed the media, said that when Veeranjaneya Swamy tried to attack the Speaker, Eliza had tried to protect him (the Speaker) by holding his hand, but was pushed aside by the unruly TDP MLAs.
"Then I went to the podium to protect Eliza, but upper caste TDP MLA B Ashok abused me in filthy language and pushed me aside resulting in injuries to my elbow," he said.
"Besides attacking me, Veeranjaneya Swamy also abused Deputy Chief Minister Narayana Swamy in unparliamentary language," Babu said.
He appealed to the Speaker to examine the video footage and take action against the perpetrators, and provide protection to the ruling party MLAs.
He added that the TDP MLAs were hurling and tearing papers, and pointing placards at the Speaker's face, daily as per a plan hatched by Naidu. Squarely blaming Naidu for the incidents in the House, he said that the TDP MLAs had attacked the YSRCP MLAs at the TDP boss' behest, and demanded action against them.
Deputy Chief Minister Narayana Swamy blamed Chandrababu Naidu for clashes between BCs and SCs. Naidu's game plan was to interrupt the ongoing sessions by provoking his MLA Veeranjaneya Swamy, from the SC community, he alleged. He said that it had become a routine affair for the opposition leader to make BCs, SCs and Reddys abuse others of their own community for political gains.
Slamming the TDP leaders who made abusive remarks against him, he urged the Speaker to register cases against and impose severe punishment on them.
YSRCP MLA K Jogulu too expressed concern over the attacks by the TDP leaders against the Speaker and their laying siege to the podium obstructing the sessions.
"It's not correct for the Opposition to resort to such activities in the Assembly. CC camera visuals clearly show TDP leaders attacking the Speaker and preventing MLA Eliza and others from reaching the podium. Action should be initiated against the TDP leaders after examining the visuals, and reoccurrence of such incidents in the Assembly should be prevented," he said.