TDP MLAs protest against cancellation of alleged government order over media in Andhra Assembly

The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MLAs who held a protest rally demanding cancellation of (Government order) GO 2430, which empowers department heads to sue media, had a clash with Assembly Marshals on Thursday.

The MLAs entered the house when the question hour was taking place and raised slogans demanding action against the Chief Marshal. There was some din over the matter. Later the matter of GO 2430 was raised.

Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy read out the GO and had enquired whether Chandrababu Naidu has the read the document thoroughly.

Reddy was in doubt whether Naidu had some issues understanding the GO as it was in the English language.

"How can Naidu demand cancellation of GO. Even when media carries baseless and derogatory news, shall one have to remain calm? Do officials have the right to file defamation against those who write baseless news with mala fide intention?", he asked in the Assembly.

Naidu responded to Jagan saying, "It is not correct to criticize the opposition. Time and again Jagan is saying that I am not well versed with the English. I did my Post Graduate from Shri Venkateshwara University. Where did the Jagan study? If he reveals it, I will study English from there. When I am entering the house with few papers; marshals pushed me out. Action should be taken against them."

Chandrababu continued to vent anger on the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and stated, "YSR Congress had brought a similar media gag GO, but had withdrawn after opposition raised the matter. But now Jagan is not meeting our demands. Jagan is doing Pulvendula Panchayat in the Assembly. We will not let this happen."

"Legislative affairs and finance minister Buggana Rajendra Nath before his speech displayed a video clip in which the president of TDP was calling the Chief Minister a psycho. He demanded an apology from former Chief Minister for his derogatory remarks on present CM. YSRCP MLAs demanded the speaker to get an apology from NCBN," he added.

TDP MLA Gorantla Buchaiah Chowdary asked what is the need of apology for words spoken outside Assembly. Will the Chief Minister apologize for his past remarks that NCBN be hanged, made before elections; he asked.

Ruling party MLA Anam Ramanarayana Reddy appealed to the chair to refer the matter (of TDP pushing aside the marshals and counter alleging on them; and NCBN calling CM a psycho) to the ethics committee. He opined that TDP is hampering the house proceedings. He suggested that one should not make personal accusations and derogatory to the chair of the Chief Minister.

YSRCP MLA Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy recalled how he was arrested, taken to different places, and brutally beaten during a dharna he took up at the time of TDP tenure.

YSRCP woman MLA RK Roja recalled how she was suspended for a year, shunted out of the assembly by marshals; during NCBN regime. Despite having state high court orders, the then TDP rule shunted out her out of the house. She said that when NCBN is speaking of marshal's behaviour; it is like "Devils reciting Vedas" (a Telugu proverb).

Concluding the discussion on this subject, CM Jagan said that "Chandrababu has no humty. We know that he won't apologize. He wasted precious time of the House. He made nuisance on the GO 2430. We leave the matter of apologizing to his consciousness."

( With inputs from ANI )