Anantapur: Zilla Parishad (ZP) chairperson Girijamma has accused three TDP MLAs - Amilineni Surendrababu, MS Raju, and Daggupati Prasad - of insulting her dignity by forcefully entering her personal chamber without permission and behaving rudely during a ZP general body meeting on May 21.

Girijamma, accompanied by senior YSRCP leaders including Anantapur district YSRCP president Anantha Venkatarami Reddy and former minister Sake Sailajanath, filed a formal complaint with Additional SP Ramanamurthy, seeking strict action against the MLAs.

Speaking to the media, Girijamma stated that the MLAs objected to a photograph of former CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy in her chamber, which she placed there out of gratitude for her position. “If they had an issue, they should have discussed it respectfully. Instead, they barged in and humiliated me as a BC woman,” she asserted, questioning, “If I, a Chairperson, am not safe, what protection do common people have?”

Girijamma also raised concerns about derogatory caste-based remarks made against the ZP CEO and alleged that photos were taken with malicious intent. She criticized the MLAs for focusing on personal attacks rather than pressing issues like crop damage from unseasonal rains. “They cannot tolerate a BC woman holding this post,” she said, urging the government to protect all ZPTCs and officials.

YSRCP Anantapur district president Anantha Venkatarami Reddy labeled the incident a pre-planned political attack, asserting that the MLAs deliberately disrupted the meeting and humiliated the Chairperson. He clarified that there are no rules mandating only the Chief Minister’s photo in local body chambers, stating, “Local bodies are independent entities. No law restricts displaying a leader’s photo in a personal office.” He demanded legal action against the involved MLAs.

Former MP Thalari Rangaiah condemned the MLAs’ behavior as shameful and undemocratic. He urged the police to register a case and conduct a thorough investigation, emphasising, “This is not just a violation of protocol but an attack on democratic values. The chamber is officially allocated to the Chairperson. Who gave them the right to enter without permission?”

The YSRCP leaders are demanding immediate legal action against the TDP MLAs, stressing the importance of protecting the dignity of elected representatives. This controversy has ignited a broader debate on political decorum and the treatment of women leaders from marginalized communities.