Bedlam prevailed in the Andhra Pradesh Legislature on Thursday as TRS and TDP MLAs hailing from Telangana region virtually manhandled Governor E S L Narasimhan during which the mike and the lectern were uprooted and chairs on the podium pulled down.

Lok Satta Party President N. Jayaprakash Narayan and Congress MLC Paladugu Venkata Rao were also allegedly beaten up in the Assembly premises.

The legislature descended into chaos as the Governor was delivering the customary address to the joint sitting of both houses on the opening day of the Budget Session on Thursday.

Chief Minister Kiran Reddy while describing the incidents as a “dark day” in the history of the state Legislature expressed regrets to the Governor and apologised to the people of the state.

The TRS MLAs first uprooted the mike and later the lectern as the Governor began his address.

Suddenly, two TDP MLAs A Revanth Reddy and Mahender Reddy rushed from behind and pulled down the chairs on the podium.

In fact, Revanth Reddy surged towards the Governor and tried to pull him aside even as the Governor’s personal security staff prevented the MLA.

The TRS MLAs also tore copies of the Governors speech and flung them at him while raising slogans “Governor go back”.

TRS MLA T Harish Rao climbed the members’ table and tried to jump over the main podium but Marshals, who rushed inside the House, prevented him. His other colleagues stormed the podium and tried to push the Governor.

Council Chairman A Chakrapani and Assembly Deputy Speaker Nadendla Manohar pleaded with the unruly members with folded hands not to resort to such acts but to no avail.

The TDP MLAs from Telangana region too joined the protest and hurled their shawls at the Governor.

A large posse of plainclothes policemen (marshals) encircled the podium and stood guard to the Governor.

Amidst the din, an unperturbed Governor continued reading his 38-page speech and completed it in nine-and-a-half minutes. The entire proceedings lasted just about 14 minutes.

Narasimhan skipped the vexed Telangana statehood issue in his address.

However, he made a veiled reference to the ongoing agitation for a state of Telangana, saying,”Political\communal violence is under effective control and check. The overall law and order situation in the state is quite satisfactory”.

Jayaprakash was returning after addressing the media on the incident when TRS MLAs K T Rama Rao (K Chandrasekhar Rao’s son), D Vinay Bhaskar and Aravinda Reddy crossed his path and allegedly pushed and beat him.

The TRS MLAs also allegedly beat up senior Congress MLC Paladugu Venkata Rao who happened to be there. Both Jayaprakash and Rao are supporters of a unified AP.

The Lok Satta Party chief, who suffered minor injuries in the attack, was treated by the Assembly doctors.

“As Leader of the House, I express my deep regrets to the governor over the incidents in the Legislature today. This is a dark day in the history of the state Legislature,” Kiran Reddy told reporters.

“I have requested the Deputy Speaker, on behalf of the Congress party, to take appropriate action to ensure that such incidents do not recur and the House is run in order. The Deputy Speaker said he will look into the incidents thoroughly and take necessary action,” he said.

Deputy Speaker Nadendla Manohar said he would examine the video footage and take “sternest action” against those responsible for the attack on the Lok Satta MLA and Congress MLC.

The unruly behavior by a couple of his party MLAs from Telangana has left TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu not only shocked but also extremely embarrassed.

So much so that Chandrababu left the House within minutes after it was adjourned for the day. He did not even attend the Assembly Business Advisory Committee meeting scheduled at 12.30 pm.