Chandrababu vows to enter assembly again only after returning to power

Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday vowed to step into the Andhra Pradesh assembly again only after returning to power.

In an emotion-filled tone, the Leader of the Opposition said in the House that he was pained by the continuous slur on him by the ruling YSR Congress members. 

“For the last two-and-a-half years, I have been bearing the insults but remained calm. Today, they have targeted even my wife. I have always lived with honour and for honour. I can take it no more,” Naidu said. 

Though he continued to speak, Speaker Tammineni Seetaram cut the mike even as the ruling party members called Naidu’s remarks a “drama”. 

The former chief minister vented his frustration following an acrimonious exchange of words between the two sides in the House during a short discussion on the farm sector. 

Later, he held an impromptu meeting with his party legislators in his chamber, where he reportedly broke down. The TDP legislators consoled Naidu after which they all came back into the House. Naidu then announced his decision to stay away from the House “till I return to power”.

Naidu also likened the assembly to Kaurava Sabha of the epic Mahabharata, where Kauravas humiliated Pandavas by trying to disrobe Draupadi. “What is more unfortunate is that the speaker remained a mute spectator when the ruling party members were hurling abuses, even dragging my wife’s name. He did not even give me an opportunity to speak and make a statement on my decision to stay away from the assembly for the rest of the term. I had to fight for my right,” he said.