VIJAYAWADA: The Budget Session of the Andhra Pradesh State Legislature got off to a noisy start on Monday with the Opposition TDP members disrupting the Governor's address to the joint sitting of the Legislative Assembly and Council.
The TDP members rose to their feet as soon as Governor Biswa Bhusan Harichandan started his address, tore the copies of his speech and flung them in the air shouting slogans of 'Governor, go back' alleging that the latter had failed to protect Constitutional institutions.
This was the first time that Harichandan addressed the joint sitting physically as in the last two Budget sessions, the Covid pandemic forced the Governor to address the House virtually.
Normalcy returned only after the TDP members staged a walkout of the session mid-way. They tried to squat in the Assembly lobbies through which the Governor had to leave after his address. The Assembly Marshals, however, did not let them stage a protest in the lobbies leading to an argument between the two sides. The Governor was escorted out of the premises by the Marshals.
Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, speaking in the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting later, took exception to the behaviour of the TDP members. Jagan Mohan Reddy reportedly chided TDP deputy floor leader K Atchannaidu for his party members disrupting the Governor's address.