Andhra assembly condemns Peshawar carnage

The Andhra Pradesh legislative assembly Thursday unanimously passed a resolution condemning the massacre of school students in Pakistan's Peshawar town.

On the first day of the winter session, the assembly passed the resolution and also observed a two-minute silence as a mark of respect to the innocent students butchered by Taliban terrorists.

Moving the resolution, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said it was a barbaric act and needs to be condemned by the entire world in one voice.

He said it was shocking for entire humanity that the terrorists killed as many as 146 people. "I on behalf of the assembly and on behalf of people of Andhra Pradesh pay my homage to the victims and extend sympathies to their parents," Naidu said.

Leader of Opposition Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy also condemned the terrorist attack on Army Public School in Peshawar. The YSR Congress president said humanity was hanging its head in shame over the ghastly manner in which innocent children were killed.

G. Butchaiah Chowdary of the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Vishnu Kumar Raju of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a partner in the ruling coalition and G. Srikanth Reddy of opposition YSR Congress also spoke on the resolution and strongly condemned the brutal killings.

Earlier, the assembly paid rich tributes to TDP legislator from Tirupati, M. Venkatramna, who died of ill-health Dec 15. The members observed a two-minute silence as a mark of respect.

After the two resolutions were passed, Speaker Kodela Sivaprasada Rao adjourned the house for the day.