The Committee of Privileges of Andhra Pradesh Assembly has recommended suspension of YSR Congress MLA R K Roja from the service of the House for one year after concluding that she resorted to "unwarranted and uncalled-for behaviour" in the House.
However, the Assembly, which discussed the issue for four hours on Monday, decided to give her another chance to appear before the Committee of Privileges to present her case. Roja did not attend the four previous meetings of the Committee.
The House had placed Roja under suspension for one year on December 18, 2015. A legal battle is currently on over the issue even as the Committee of Privileges came up with the fresh recommendation.
The Committee, led by senior MLA Gollapalli Surya Rao, also found another YSRC member Kodali Srivenkateswara Rao (Nani) guilty of making very serious remarks (against some members of the ruling TDP) and recommended that the House take appropriate action against him.
The House would take a decision on this, Legislative Affairs Minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu said.
The Committee, however, exonerated three other MLAs of the YSRC as they expressed "regrets" for having used unparliamentary language in the House on December 18, 2015.
The House accepted the Committee's recommendation.
The Committee on Privileges fully endorsed the findings of the four-member committee, headed by Deputy Speaker Mandali Buddha Prasad, constituted to enquire into the happenings in the House during Zero Hour on December 22.
It also endorsed the action recommended by the Buddha Prasad committee against the erring YSRC MLAs.
Reports of the two committees were placed in the Assembly this afternoon even as the House took up discussion on the interim order of the Hyderabad High Court which has stayed the year-long suspension already imposed on Roja.
The division bench headed by Chief Justice reserved its order till Tuesday on an appeal filed by the Legislature Secretary against the single judge's order.
The government offered to let Roja into the House if she tendered an apology even at this stage, but her lawyer rejected the proposal saying her client "did nothing wrong".
The YSRC boycotted proceedings of the Assembly on Monday in solidarity with Roja, who was denied entry into the House for two days despite the single judge's interim order against her suspension.
The Legislative Affairs Minister said that the Speaker enjoys all powers in running the House.
"The Speaker can take action as per any rule. More than the rules, it's the decision of the House that ultimately matters," Yanamala, who had earlier served as Speaker, pointed out.
Later, the House was adjourned for the day.