Congress MLAs protest Naidu's remark on Dalit Deputy Speaker

Hyderabad, Apr 2 (UNI) Alleging that Leader of the Opposition N Chandrababu Naidu had insulted Deputy Speaker G Kutuhalamma, a Dalit, the Congress Legislators staged a protest in front of Speaker K R Suresh Reddy's chambers.

As soon as the Andhra Pradesh Assembly was adjourned, the Congress Legislators urged the Speaker to take action against the TDP leader for heaping insults on a woman and a Dalit by stating that the TDP would not allow conduct of the House by her.

Talking to reporters in the Assembly lobby, Major Industries Minister J Geeta Reddy claimed that Mr Naidu had dubbed the Deputy Speaker an ''unfit''.

Small Scale Industries Minister G Surya Rao claimed that injustice had been meted out to Dalits during the previous TDP rule.

Congress Legislator Manika Varaprasada Rao demanded that Mr Naidu tender an unconditional apology for his conduct.

Coming to Mr Naidu's defence, TDP Legislature Party Secretary E Dayakar Rao said that when the Speaker had alloted only half an hour for each Minister, they had exceeded their time by speaking for over 90 minutes. In this situation, the TDP had no option, but to press for the Speaker's return to the House for time management.

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