Telangana legislators force governor to cut short speech
By IANSThursday, February 17, 2011
HYDERABAD - There was chaos in the Andhra Pradesh legislature Thursday with Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) members trying to snatch papers from Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan’s hands as he was addressing a joint session of both houses.
The governor had to cut short his speech as legislators of the TRS, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Communist Party of India (CPI) continually raised slogans of “Governor go back”. Some legislators, mainly from the TRS, tore copies of his speech and threw the pieces at him.
Unprecedented scenes were witnessed as the governor, who was visibly upset over the protest, completed his speech in less than 15 minutes and left the assembly. The governor skipped many papers of his 40-page address as his security personnel and marshals of assembly stood like a wall between him and the legislators.
As soon as the governor began his speech on the first day of the budget session, the Telangana legislators were on their feet raising slogans. The TRS legislators advanced towards the podium, tore his speech copies and threw papers at him.
As Narasimhan continued his speech, the legislators went closer to him, tried to uproot the mike and snatch the papers as his personal security officer came to his rescue. The assembly staff snapped the live telecast of governor’s address.
Marshals were called to control TRS and other opposition legislators as the governor resumed his speech. Amid pandemonium, he cut short his speech.
The protest coincided with the beginning of a non-cooperation movement in Telangana demanding introduction of a bill in parliament for formation of a separate Telangana state.
Earlier, TRS, TDP and other pro-Telangana legislators alleged that the governor was anti-Telangana and hence had no right to address the legislature on the land of Telangana.
