The Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly witnessed high drama on Friday, as members of the Telugu Desam Party-led ruling coalition accused the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) of committing “blasphemy” by entering the assembly wearing shoes while carrying pictures of Lord Venkateswara for the fourth consecutive day.
Led by Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Botsa Satyanarayana, YSRCP members submitted notice of adjournment motion to Speaker of the Legislative Council Kwi Moshin Raju, discussing the alleged nexus between Maharashtra-based Indapur Dairy and Heritage Foods Limited, owned by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu for supplying ghee to Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD).
The President rejected both requests for postponement, sparking protests from the opposition benches. In response, YSRCP legislators rushed to the President’s dais and held a demonstration.
Carrying pictures of Lord Venkateswara and banners, they surrounded the podium and raised slogans demanding discussion of the issue. TDP members, who noticed that YSRCP members were wearing sneakers while carrying pictures of Lord Venkateshwara, registered their disapproval.
As YSRCP members continued to register the protest, the President briefly adjourned the session.
Shortly after the council resumed its work, coalition members resumed their protests. State Finance Minister Baifulla Keshav said the opposition’s behavior was “shameful” and nothing short of “blasphemy”.
“It is unbecoming of a responsible political party. The YSRCP had little respect towards the Lord when they entered the house carrying images of the deity while wearing shoes. It is an insult to religious sentiments,” Keshav said.
He accused them of deliberately raising tensions in the House of Representatives on a daily basis. He said the behavior of YSRCP members hurt the sentiments of the Hindu community and crossed all acceptable limits.
BJP MLC Somu Veerraju also strongly criticized YSRCP’s behavior in the legislative council. Speaking at the media point of the rally, he alleged that the opposition insulted Hindu sentiments.
He described it as “unforgivable” for members to enter the house wearing shoes and carrying images of the deity, and described the process of throwing away images or mishandling them as disrespectful. Veerraju demanded YSRCP president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy to apologize to the Hindu community.
In response, Botsa Satyanarayana maintained that they had not insulted the deity and rejected the allegations. The confrontation led to chaotic scenes in the council, as members from both sides raised slogans and exchanged arguments.
As the situation turned chaotic, the council president adjourned the council session to Monday.
