A tense situation prevailed during the Andhra Assembly session on Monday, March 20 as the MLAs of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) engaged in a scuffle close to the Speaker's podium. Speaker Tammineni Sitharam suspended the opposition TDP MLAs from the House for the day following the disruption in the House proceedings, and the House was stalled for a brief period.
Members of the TDP proposed an adjournment motion to revoke GO No. 1 as soon as the Assembly's session on Monday got underway around 9 am, and they insisted that it be discussed. The MLAs also stood on the podium and threw bits of paper in the air. Holding placards, they raised slogans calling for the repeal of GO No. 1 and gathered around the Speaker's podium. Speaker Tammineni Sitaram pushed aside a placard that TDP MLA Dola Bala Veeranjaneya Swamy had placed close to his face. This soon caused arguments to break out between the Speaker and TDP MLAs which intensified and led to clashes as soon as the YSRCP MLAs came to the podium. TDP MLA Veeranjaneya and YSRCP MLA Sudhakar Babu both allegedly got hit during the clash.
Following a stampede that occurred on December 28 at Kandukur in Nellore district during Chandrababu Naidu's roadshow, the government had issued the GO number 1 on January 2, prohibiting public gatherings on roads citing public safety. The TDP and Left parties including student organisations have called for ‘Chalo Assembly’ rally on Monday in Vijayawada demanding repeal of the controversial GO.
Former Andhra Chief Minister and TDP president Nara Chandrababu Naidu, condemned the attack on party MLAs inside the Assembly and called it the ‘darkest day in the Assembly's history'. Further, he claimed that the attack on his party’s Dalit MLA Dola Bala Veeranjaneya Swamy, was pre-planned. Meanwhile, the ruling YSRCP has accused TDP MLAs Veeranjaneya Swamy and Gorantla Butchaiah Chowdary of attacking its party’s Dalit MLA Sudhakar Babu and Vellampalli Srinivas.
Shocked to see our MLA Dr. Dola Swamy being attacked in the assembly by YSRCP MLAs. Today is a Black day for Andhra Pradesh because such a shameful incident has never happened in the hallowed halls of the assembly before.(1/3)#TDPDalitMLAattackedInAssembly pic.twitter.com/LmWFkxVbVy
— N Chandrababu Naidu (@ncbn) March 20, 2023
Reacting strongly to the attack on the party's MLA, TDP general secretary Nara Lokesh said, ”It is unclear if we live in a democracy or a kingdom of demons. Is calling for the repeal of GO 1, which crushes the opposition, illegal under CM Jagan's rule?”
Minister for Water Resources, Ambati Ramababu claimed that since the start of the Assembly session, the opposition has been interfering with proceedings and using suspensions as part of a deliberate strategy to garner attention for their own political gain.
The YSRCP alleged that Dalit TDP MLA Dola Bala hurled expletives at Deputy Chief Minister K Narayana Swamy and the YSRCP MLAs. “YSRCP MLAs VR Eliza and TJR Sudhakar Babu rushed to defend the Speaker during the commotion that followed. However, they were shoved by a TDP MLA, and TJR Sudhakar Babu was hurt as a result of the altercation. The House became tense when TDP MLA Gorantla Buchaiah pushed Vellampalli Srinivas, causing him to fall to the ground,” the YSRCP stated in a press release.
Responding to the attack, MLA Sudhakar said, "This is not an attack on me; it is an attack on the entire SC community. Chandrababu Naidu opposes SCs speaking out or participating in politics. We will protest this attack with all our strength.”
TDP MLA Veeranjaneya, too, reacted to the attack on him and accused YSRCP MLAs VR Eliza and TJR Sudhakar of orchestrating it. “I have been a member of the house for nine years now. People and members of the House know me well, The ruling party MLAs attacked me and accused me in turn,” he said. The MLA asked the ruling party to release the unedited visuals and prove its claims.