VIJAYAWADA: In response to comments made by YSRC members in the Legislative Council accusing Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu of boycotting the Assembly in the previous regime, HRD Minister Nara Lokesh delivered an impassioned speech clarifying the circumstances. Lokesh stated that his father, Naidu, had attended the Assembly regularly until YSRC members made insulting remarks about Lokesh’s mother, prompting Naidu to withdraw from Assembly sessions in protest. Lokesh asserted that Naidu vowed not to re-enter the Assembly until the people condemned those who disrespected him and his wife.
Lokesh also emphasized that neither he nor his party members had ever made disparaging remarks about YSRC Chief Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s family. He questioned the YSRC leaders’ reasons for boycotting the current session and condemned the false claims by YSRC MLCs, who alleged that Naidu “ran away” from the House between 2019 and 2024. According to Lokesh, these accusations are baseless, as Naidu’s decision to avoid Assembly sessions stemmed solely from the humiliation of his family, not from fear or avoidance.
Challenging the credibility of YSRC members’ statements, Lokesh asked how they could deny the insult his mother endured when most were not even present in the House at the time. He reminded the Council that the TDP had never made personal comments about Jagan’s family, unlike the YSRC, which, Lokesh claimed, had previously targeted his mother, Y.S. Vijayamma, and his sister, Y.S. Sharmila, with disrespectful remarks.
Expressing dismay at comments made by the Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council, Botcha Satyanarayana, who claimed they would not support those who humiliated Naidu’s family, Lokesh pointed out the contradiction in Botcha’s stance. Lokesh noted that YSRC had rewarded those who insulted his mother with party tickets, calling this hypocrisy into question.
