Chandrababu Naidu is the former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh
Hyderabad:
Telugu Desam Party leader Chandrababu Naidu broke down on live television at a press conference held soon after his walkout from the Andhra Pradesh Assembly on Friday.
What he said were harsh and abusive verbal attacks on his wife Bhuvneshwari.
“For the past two and a half years, I have been bearing humiliation but kept calm. Today, they also targeted my wife. I always lived with dignity and respect. I cannot take it any longer,” a visibly distraught Mr. Naidu said. The agency was quoted by PTI.
Earlier today, inside the state assembly, there was a heated argument between the people of the opposition including the ruling YSR Congress and the TDP.
Mr Naidu said he was denied the opportunity to make a statement to defend himself and his wife against the alleged personal remarks. According to PTI, Speaker Tammineni Sitaram cut Mr Naidu’s mic as he was speaking, and ruling party legislators called the former chief minister’s remarks a “drama”.
The whole incident happened during the discussion on agriculture sector.
After reportedly being denied an opportunity to speak, Mr Naidu then walked out. The TDP MLAs tried to console their leader, PTI reported, after which they all returned to the House.
Earlier, however, Mr. Naidu made a dramatic announcement – that he would return to the assembly as chief minister only after he was insulted and humiliated inside the building.
Meanwhile, a video in which Mr Naidu himself is referring to Chief Minister Jagan Reddy (without naming him) has been widely circulated. Mr Reddy has claimed that personal remarks were made against him and his family, and that his rivals were now blaming members of the ruling party.
Earlier this week, Mr Naidu’s TDP suffered a defeat in civic polls in Chittoor district, which is his home constituency.
The YSR Congress won 19 out of 25 wards in Kuppam Municipality – the first time the Telugu Desam Party lost in the region. The defeat has, conceivably, been seen as a major setback, especially after the party failed to win other local body elections held a few months back.
Mr Naidu’s announcement is not the first of its kind.
In 2012, the late former Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa had vowed not to return to the assembly – after she was accused of humiliation and assault from within – until she was elected to the top post.
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