Proceedings in the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council were briefly disrupted on Friday following intense exchanges between members of the ruling and Opposition benches, eventually leading to adjournment amid continued protests. The uproar began after members of the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) displayed placards depicting Lord Sri Venkateswara Swamy along with sandals, triggering strong objections from treasury bench members and escalating tensions inside the House.
The disruption followed a decision by Legislative Council Chairman Koyye Moshen Raju to reject a request made by members Kumba Ravi Babu, D Madhava Rao, and S Mangamma seeking a discussion on issues related to the Tirupati laddu prasadam and Indapur Dairy. The matter was politically sensitive as Indapur Dairy has allegedly been linked to Heritage Foods, a company associated with the family of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, which supplies ghee to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD).
Visuals from the Assembly showed Opposition members gathering in the well of the House while holding placards and raising slogans, which further intensified the confrontation. Andhra Pradesh Finance Minister P Keshav strongly criticised the display, questioning the conduct of the protesting members and accusing them of disrespecting religious sentiments by bringing images of the deity into political protests. He stated that such an incident was unprecedented and condemned the Opposition’s actions, alleging that the YSRCP legislators were acting under political direction rather than maintaining decorum.
The controversy comes amid an ongoing political dispute between the ruling party and the Opposition over alleged links between Heritage Foods and the Tirupati laddu issue. A day earlier, YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy had claimed that the Chief Minister opposed discussion on Indapur Dairy in the legislature. He alleged that the dairy unit had been officially identified as a Heritage manufacturing facility until February 10 and was later redesignated as a co-manufacturing unit days later following controversy surrounding its reported connection to Heritage and the supply of ghee to the TTD.
Responding to the allegations last week, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu expressed strong displeasure over attempts to associate Heritage Foods with the Tirupati laddu controversy. He stated that the company had no involvement in the issue and emphasised that Heritage Foods had never sought financial assistance from the government and would not do so in the future. Naidu described the company as a family-run business operated through professional management and accused YSRCP leaders of attempting to damage its reputation for political gain.
As protests and slogan-shouting continued despite repeated appeals for order, the proceedings could not resume smoothly, forcing the Chair to adjourn the House for the remainder of the day. The incident highlighted the deepening political confrontation between the ruling party and the Opposition over religious and business-related allegations, as well as growing concerns over maintaining parliamentary decorum during legislative sessions.
