Vijayawada: Taking a serious view of the protocol controversy during the Pithapuram Area Development Authority (PADA) meeting, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has warned party leaders not to cross the line and to work in coordination with alliance partners.
Naidu discussed the issue with state TDP president Palla Srinivasa Rao and sought a detailed report on what transpired at the meeting. He also made it clear that clashes among TDP leaders over protocol, particularly regarding the prominence of photographs on flex banners, were unacceptable.
The controversy erupted when former MLA SVSN Varma objected to the absence of Chief Minister Naidu's photograph during the PADA meeting. Naidu was critical of the former MLA's conduct, stating that party leaders are expected to act as role models for the public. He emphasized that any issues or grievances should be brought to the notice of party leadership, adding that direct confrontations were not the right approach as public disputes send wrong signals to the party cadre.
Naidu directed Srinivasa Rao to advise Varma appropriately and ensure such incidents are not repeated. He underlined the need for maintaining internal discipline within the party, stressing that leaders should not compete for personal importance.
Meanwhile, Koneti Adimoolam, the MLA of Satyavedu assembly constituency in Tirupati district, who was suspended from the TDP in September after a woman party leader accused him of sexual assault, alleged that government officials were according protocol formalities to TDP programme committee coordinator Shankar Reddy instead of him. "When I am the legislator of this constituency, how can officials accord protocol honours to a party coordinator? I have complained to the assembly speaker, who has sought an explanation from the district collector," Adimoolam added.
