E-Paper
Row as YSRCP MLCs wear footwear while carrying portaits of Lord Venkateswara
Andhra Pradesh's legislative council saw chaos as YSRCP members, accused of blasphemy for entering in footwear with portraits of a deity, protested against rejected motions.
The Andhra Pradesh legislative council witnessed high drama on Friday, with members of the ruling Telugu Desam Party-led coalition accusing the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) of committing “blasphemy” by entering the House wearing footwear while carrying portraits of Lord Venkateswara for the fourth consecutive day.
Led by leader of opposition in the council Botsa Satyanarayana, YSRCP members served a notice for an adjournment motion to legislative council chairman Koyye Moshen Raju, to discuss the alleged nexus between Maharashtra-based Indapur Dairy and Heritage Foods Limited, owned by chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu for supply of ghee to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD).
The chairman rejected both adjournment motions, triggering protests from the opposition benches. In response, YSRCP legislators rushed to the chairman’s podium and staged a demonstration.
Holding photographs of Lord Venkateswara and placards, they surrounded the podium and raised slogans, demanding a discussion on the issue. The TDP members, who noticed that the YSRCP members were sporting footwear while carrying the portraits of Lord Venkateshwara, registered their disapproval.
As the YSRCP members continued to register protest, the chairman adjourned the House for a brief period.
Soon after the council resumed proceedings, coalition members resumed their protests. State finance minister Payyavula Keshav said the conduct of the opposition was “shameful” and nothing short of “blasphemy.”
“It is unbecoming of a responsible political party. The YSRCP has scant respect towards the God as they entered the House carrying images of the deity while wearing footwear. It is an insult to religious sentiments,” Keshav said.
He accused them of deliberately provoking tensions in the House on a daily basis. He said the behaviour of YSRCP members hurt the sentiments of the Hindu community and crossed all acceptable limits.
BJP MLC Somu Veerraju also strongly criticised the YSRCP’s conduct in the legislative council. Speaking at the assembly media point, he alleged that the opposition had insulted Hindu sentiments.
He termed it “unforgivable” that members entered the House wearing footwear while carrying images of the deity and described the act of throwing or mishandling the photographs as disrespectful. Veerraju demanded that YSRCP chief Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy apologise to the Hindu community.
In response, Botsa Satyanarayana asserted that they had not insulted the deity and rejected the allegations. The confrontation led to chaotic scenes in the council, with members from both sides raising slogans and engaging in heated exchanges.
As the situation turned disorderly, the council chairman adjourned the House to Monday.
