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| Lok Satta Party MLA Jayaprakash Narayan (centre) being attacked by TRS activists outside the Assembly complex in Hyderabad on Thursday. |
HYDERABAD: In incidents unprecedented in the annals of the Andhra Pradesh Legislature, Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and Telugu Desam Party members tried to manhandle Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan after snatching away his microphone and the papers he was reading out to a joint session on Thursday.
TRS leaders assaulted Lok Satta MLA Jayaprakash Narayan at the media point outside, minutes after he condemned their undemocratic behaviour. They also roughed up senior Congress leader and MLC Paladugu Venkata Rao, who, like Dr. Narayan, is a votary of a united Andhra Pradesh.
The ornate hall in the Old Assembly building, venue of the session, echoed with vociferous protests by the TRS MLAs, with vocal, and later physical, support from TDP member.
Soon after the Governor entered the hall through a door other than the designated one, which was blocked by TDP MLAs, TRS members started shouting, ‘Governor, go back.'
After a brief respite for the national anthem, they resumed shouting when Mr. Narasimhan started reading out his speech in Telugu. Initially, they hurled shredded copies of the speech and their pink-coloured stoles. Later, T. Harish Rao, nephew of TRS president K. Chandrasekhar Rao, went to the podium and violently pulled away the lectern — the microphones, the speech copies and all. Surrounded by marshals, Mr. Narasimhan resumed his address using a hand-held microphone and switched to English, skipping portions of his 38-page speech.
Amid attempts to disrupt his speech, Andhra Pradesh Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan addresses a joint session of the legislature in Hyderabad on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the TDP's Revanth Reddy and Mahender Reddy went behind the podium, toppling the heavy chairs of the Governor, Legislative Council Chairman A. Chakrapani and Deputy Speaker Nadendla Manohar, besides throwing plastic chairs meant for officials. The bedlam ended 14 minutes later, when Mr. Narsimhan, refusing to buckle under the pressure, concluded his speech and left.
Floor leaders immediately rushed to the media point to give their reaction. Dr. Narayan condemned the TRS leaders' behaviour, saying such incidents might lead to suspension of the Assembly and, eventually, imposition of President's Rule.
TRS MLAs were standing nearby, awaiting their turn to speak. One of them, D. Vinay Bhaskar, landed a blow on Dr. Narayan and he was joined by the driver of TRS floor leader E. Rajender. Later, they set upon Mr. Venkata Rao. Parties across the political spectrum condemned the assault.
Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy called on the Governor at the Raj Bhavan and tendered an unconditional apology. The TDP refrained from passing comments as its own MLAs were involved in the fracas. Significantly, the day's events overshadowed the non-cooperation movement in Telangana and the absence of more than 25 Congress MLAs, who are camping in Delhi.
