AP council chairman pulls up Marshals for behaving rudely to

Telugu Desam party members on Thursday raised the issue of "rude" behaviour of marshals towards them leading to heated exchanges with the ruling YSR Congress in the State Assembly, as the Legislative Council Chairman pulled up the Chief Marshal following a complaint from the TDP.

After Telugu Desam Party members complained about "rude and objectionable behavior" by the marshals, a hearing was conducted in Chairman Sharrif Mohammed Ahmed's chambers with members of various parties present.

The council chairman reprimanded the chief marshal Theophilus for showing disrespect towards legislators, according to some members of the Legislative Council (MLCs).

The issue rocked the Legislative Assembly with members of the ruling YSR Congress and the main opposition TDP trading charges.

At the end of a heated debate on the issue, Speaker Tammineni Seetaram said he would verify all the records, including CCTV footage, and refer the matter to the Assembly Ethics Committee if required.

It all began with the marshals allegedly preventing the TDP members from carrying papers with them into the House.

Some TDP members even alleged that the marshals shoved them, showing utter disregard to their stature.

"I was made to wait outside the gate for 20 minutes despite saying that I was not carrying any papers and also that I am unwell.

How can they do this," senior legislator Gorantla Butchaiah Chowdary asked.

Leader of the Opposition Chandrababu Naidu too complained about the behavior of the marshals and alleged they tried to push him while he was entering the Assembly lobby.

The ruling party countered this and displayed a video clip wherein Naidu is seen allegedly fuming at the chief marshal.

"The Chief Minister is behaving like a psychopath and you too dont behave like that," Naidu is purportedly heard telling the chief marshal.

The YSRC legislators objected to this and demanded an apology from the TDP chief.

Senior member Aanam Ramanarayana Reddy wanted the matter referred to the Ethics Committee as it was setting a wrong precedent.

After a heated debate, the Speaker said he was leaving it to the wisdom of Chandrababu Naidu whether or not to tender an apology to the Chief Minister over the remark.

"I will examine all the records and, if required, will refer the matter to the Ethics Committee," Seetaram said.

On the other hand, the TDP MLCs, who are in majority in the Council, took up the issue with the Chairman.

The chief marshal was summoned to the Chairmans chamber, where Sharrif sought an explanation in the presence of ministers Buggana Rajendranath, Pilli Subhash Chandra Bose, Botsa Satyanarayana, Leader of Opposition Yanamala Ramakrishnudu, MLCs N Lokesh, Y V B Rajendra Prasad, P V N Madhav and others.

According to the MLCS, the Chief Marshal told the Chairman that the TDP members themselves tried to shove the marshals but Lokesh and others countered it and presented video clips in support of their claim that it was the marshals who behaved rudely towards the legislators.

A couple of ministers too found fault with the overall behavior of the marshals while one tried to support the chief marshal.

In the end, the council chairman directed the marshals to behave properly towards the legislators, some MLCs said.