*YSRCP demands Sacking of Minister Atchannaidu over insult to Council Chairman*

Tadepalli, March 4: Senior YSRCP leaders Botsa Satyanarayana, Merugu Nagarjuna and TJR Sudhakar Babu strongly condemned the incident that took place in the State Legislative Council, describing it as a dark day in the history of democracy. In a joint press 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 the humiliating and disrespectful behavior of ministers and TDP members toward Legislative Council Chairman Moshen Raju, 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 stated 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 Kinjarapu Atchannaidu for behavior 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.