Amaravati, March 4 Opposition YSR Congress Party on Wednesday demanded the sacking of Andhra Pradesh Agriculture Minister Kinjarapu Atchannaidu for his remark in the Legislative Council targeting Chairman K. Moshenu Raju on the basis of his religion.
Leader of opposition in the Council, Botsa Satyanarayana and senior leaders Merugu Nagarjuna and TJR Sudhakar Babu strongly condemned the incident, describing it as a dark day in the history of democracy.
In a joint statement issued in Tadepalli, they said the events that unfolded in the Council amounted to an attack on democratic values and parliamentary traditions.
They criticized what they called the humiliating and disrespectful behaviour of ministers and TDP members toward the Council Chairman, stating that instead of respecting a person holding a constitutional position, targeting him on the basis of caste and religion was completely against the culture and dignity of legislative institutions.
The YSRCP leaders alleged that the incident occurred under the directions of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and that the remarks made by Minister Kinjarapu Atchannaidu were not accidental but deliberate.
They expressed concern that the incident occurred even while Minister Nara Lokesh was present in the House.
They said insulting a person holding a constitutional post, particularly a Dalit leader, by raising questions about his religion and caste was not merely a personal attack but an assault on the principles of social justice and equality. Questioning the Chairman about which religion he belonged to, they said, had brought disrepute to the dignity of the legislature.
They further said that the ruling coalition was attempting to divert attention from allegations of irregularities linked to Heritage Foods by turning the Tirumala laddu issue into a political controversy.
According to them, when questions were raised with evidence regarding irregularities in Tirumala ghee procurement, including claims that ghee was supplied at rates higher than the market price through a Heritage-linked unit, the ruling party lost patience and deliberately created chaos in the House.
They said the attack on the Chairman’s integrity appeared to be part of a larger attempt to control proceedings in the Council and prevent discussion on these issues.
The YSRCP leaders demanded immediate action against Minister Atchannaidu for behaviour that undermined democratic institutions and called for his dismissal from the state cabinet.
They emphasized that protecting the dignity of legislative bodies is the responsibility of every member and warned that such incidents weaken democratic traditions and constitutional values.
--IANS
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