YSRCP condemns TDP members' 'attack' on Speaker, Dalit MLAs

Vijayawada: Condemning the attack by TDP members on the Speaker and Dalit MLAs in the House, YSRCP termed it as a Black Day for democracy and sought stringent action against the perpetrators.

Speaking at the media point at the State Assembly on Monday, the YSRCP MLAs alleged that Speaker T Sitaram was attacked and Dalit members were assaulted by TDP members under the direction of their party chief Chandrababu Naidu.

MLA VR Eliza said that TDP members have en masse attacked and manhandled the Speaker, who hails from the BC community and demanded stringent action against the TDP MLAs.

On the directions of Naidu, the TDP MLAs have thrown ethics of House to winds and have been trying to stall the proceedings on a daily basis as per a plan, he alleged.

Bala Veeranjaneya Swamy, who is placed in the front as per TDP conspiracy, rushed to the Speaker podium in a threatening manner and manhandled him, he said.

"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 and demanded that cases be filed against the erring TDP MLAs under the SC, ST Atrocities (Prevention) Act for attacking the Dalit MLA.

Sudhakar Babu, who also addressed the media, squarely blamed Chandrababu Naidu for the incidents in the House.

He said that the TDP MLAs have attacked the ruling party MLAs at the behest of Naidu and demanded action against the them.

"TDP MLA Veeranjaneya Swamy also abused Deputy Chief Minister Narayana Swamy in unparliamentary language besides attacking me," Sudhakar Babu said.

Calling it a Black Day, Sudhakar Babu said that the TDP MLAs were showing disrespect to the Speaker who belongs to the weaker sections by hurling and tearing away the papers and pointing the placards at his face daily as per the plan hatched by Naidu.

When the TDP MLA Bala Veeranjaneya Swamy tried to attack the Speaker, Eliza tried to protect the Speaker by holding his hand but he 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.

He appealed to the Speaker to examine the video footage and take action against the perpetrators and provide protection to the ruling party MLAs.

Deputy Chief Minister Narayana Swamy blamed Naidu for creating rift between BCs and SCs.

Naidu's intention is to disrupt the ongoing sessions by instigating his MLA D Bala Veeranjaneya Swamy from SC community, he alleged.

Taking a dig at the TDP leaders for making abusive remarks against him, Narayana Swamy urged T Sitaram to register cases against the TDP members and impose severe punishment on them.