'Attempted assault' on Somu Veerraju sparks political row

Amaravati: A political controversy erupted on Thursday after BJP leaders alleged that YSRCP MLCs attempted a physical assault on senior BJP leader Somu Veerraju inside the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council.

Y Vishnuvardhan Reddy, BJP National Council Member, strongly condemned the incident, describing it as “an attack on democracy.”

He alleged that Veerraju, a seasoned politician, was targeted while raising public issues in the House.

According to the BJP, certain YSRCP members displayed “unparliamentary and aggressive conduct,” attempting to intimidate the BJP floor leader by leveraging their numerical strength in the Council.

Reddy stated that such behaviour undermines the dignity of the Legislative Council and demanded immediate suspension of the members involved.

He urged the Council Chairman to intervene and initiate strict action against those allegedly responsible.

The BJP also called upon former chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy to tender an apology over the episode and questioned his absence from Assembly proceedings, asserting that democratic institutions must be respected. Stating that the party would not be deterred by “threats or intimidation,” Reddy affirmed that the BJP would intensify its fight on public issues.

There was no immediate response from the YSRCP at the time of filing this report.