Council witnesses uproar as TD members climb up podium to protest arrest of Naidu

VIJAYAWADA: The AP Legislative Council witnessed uproar as the Opposition Telugu Desam members trooped into the well and climbed up the podium, holding placards and raising slogans against the arrest of their party chief Nara Chandrababu Naidu.

This led to chairman Koyye Moshenu Raju reprimanding the members.

Soon after the 43rd Session of the Council began on Thursday, the chairman announced Marri Rajasekhar, Kumbha Ravi Kumar, V.K. Yadav and Kancherla Srikanth as the panel speakers for the Session.

He rejected the two adjournment motions given by the TD and PDF members. The TD members raised slogans, saying ‘We Want Justice’ and sought a discussion on the arrest of Chandrababu Naidu. They climbed up the podium while PDF members trooped into the well, seeking the Old Pension Scheme for government employees instead of the Guaranteed Pension Scheme.

The chairman allowed the listed questions to be taken up, to have the members get answers from the government. Deputy CM for panchayat raj Muthyalu Naidu started replying on leasing rights of water tanks to the Rajaka community, as the Opposition TD members continued their stir. The chairman adjourned the House for 10 minutes.

When the House resumed its Session, the TD members climbed up the podium and surrounded the chairman, with placards, and raising slogans against the state government for Naidu’s arrest.

Housing minister Jogi Ramesh intervened and informed the chairman that the government was ready for a discussion but he wanted the house to be put in order first. The TD members continued to raise slogans. The chairman adjourned the House again.

After some time, when the House resumed its Session and the TD members were found standing on the podium with placards, the chairman reprimanded them. He said, “This is an elders’ House and you should behave. I warn you that if you fail to go back to your seats, stern action will follow.”

Meanwhile, the housing minister raised an objection. He said the TD members were not showing due respect to the chairman. However, the TD members continued to raise slogans claiming, “We Want Justice, Save Democracy.”

The ruling YSRC members also raised their voice, calling the TD chief Chandrababu Naidu a “420” involved in the looting of public money. Amid the fight, the chairman adjourned the house to meet again on Friday.