Hyderabad, March 28 : In perhaps the first time in the history of Indian legislature, a minister in the AP government slapped an opposition MLA right in the assembly minutes after the house met for the day.
The minister in question is Y S Vivekananda Reddy, the brother of former chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy who is a member of the legislative council and present in the assembly in his capacity as agriculture minister.
Minutes after he slapped TDP MLA C H Prabhakar, the house was adjourned and the main opposition party is now demanding the resignation of Vivekananda Reddy as well as a breach of privilege by a member of another house on a legislator.
As soon as the AP Assembly met at 9 am, the house witnessed the same ruckus as has been happening for most of the budget session — the TDP MLAs rushing to the well of the house with a certain demand and the ruling party ally MIM disrupting the proceedings with another demand of their own.
For the last few days, the TDP MLAs have been trooping into the house wearing placards stating 'YSR's gang of robbers'.
As soon as the TDP MLAs raised slogans minutes after the house met on Monday, a visibly angry Vivekananda Reddy got up from his seat, walked to the TDP benches and started arguing with its senior member G Muddukrishnammaaidu.
Even as the argument was in progress, TDP MLA Prabhakar, who was in the second row, said something to the minister who promptly slapped him and when he attempted to slap the TDP MLA for the second time, Muddukrishnammanaidu came in between and took the blow on his shoulder.
At this juncture, the house was adjourned even as fellow minister from Kadapa Mohd Ahmedulla Syed and MIM MLAs rushed to the TDP benches and took away Vivekananda Reddy to safety.
