Marshals of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly had a tough time separating women legislators of the Telugu Desam Party and the YSR Congress as they jostled with one another to have the podium for themselves at the media point here on Tuesday. The marshals formed a human chain to separate them.
Trouble began when Payakaraopet TDP MLA Vangalapudi Anitha charged Paderu YSR Congress MLA Giddi Eswari with speaking in a derogatory manner about Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu as the House discussed the issue of women’s safety.
Push & shove
Ms. Eswari, who was waiting for her turn to speak to the media, rushed to the podium and challenged Ms. Anitha to prove that she had spoken disrespectfully of the Chief Minister.
Ms. Anitha — with the support of her party MLAs Tangirala Sowmya (Nandigama) and Meesala Sita (Vizianagaram) — tried to push Ms. Eswari away. The latter resisted with the support of her party MLAs — Pamula Pushpa Srivani (Kurupam), Viswasarai Kalavathi (Palakonda) and Vanthala Rajeswari (Rampachodavaram) — and even managed to nudge the TDP MLAs away from the podium.
Ms. Anitha returned to the media point, accompanied by more TDP MLAs with Minister Peethala Sujatha in the lead. The YSRCP MLA too summoned more of her party MLAs resulting in full-scale jostling and heated arguments.
The MLAs scrambled for the television channel microphones. TDP Gajapathinagaram MLA Kondapalli Appalanaidu pushed away the mikes on the podium to prevent the YSR Congress MLAs from speaking. It was at this point that the marshals entered the scene.
The confrontation was the result of heated exchange in the Assembly. Speaker Kodela Siva Prasada Rao adjourned the House when the MLAs of the YSR Congress stormed the well demanding time to speak on the subject at length.
After the adjournment, the TDP women MLAs rushed to the media point and began listing the atrocities against women, including the Ayesha murder case, which occurred when the Congress was in power.
