Legislators of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) were suspended for a second consecutive day from the Andhra Pradesh Assembly on Friday, September 16. As the TDP MLAs protested near the Speaker’s podium, Legislative Affairs Minister Buggana Rajendranath moved a motion for suspending 14 MLAs for the day. The TDP MLAs raised slogans inside, while several TDP leaders protested outside the Assembly, blaming the YSRCP government for the rising prices of essential commodities and other services.
The TDP members were insisting on a debate on rising prices and taxes. As soon as the House met for the day, the TDP legislators were on their feet after the Speaker rejected their adjournment motion. They trooped into the well of the House, surrounded the Speaker's chair and raised slogans. The opposition members said that since price rise and taxes have imposed a burden on the common man, the issue should be discussed by adjourning other items on the agenda.
The Speaker took strong exception to TDP members' behaviour and asked them to take their seats and cooperate in running the House proceedings in a smooth manner. As the TDP members continued their protest, the government moved the resolution to suspend them for one day. After the suspension, the Speaker directed the TDP members to leave the House. When they refused, he called the marshals to evict the suspended members. The opposition legislators took strong exception to the use of marshals. The Speaker, however, maintained that he has the powers to do so.
Ashok Bendalam, Kinjarapu Atchannaidu, Adireddy Bhavani, Gorantla Butchaiah Chowdary, Nimmakayala China Rajappa, Gana Venkata Reddy Naidu, Vegulla Jogeswara Rao, Payyavula Keshav, Velagapudi Ramakrishna Babu, Nimmala Rama Naidu, Mantena Ramaraju, Gottipati Ravi Kumar, Anagani Satya Prasad, and Dola Sree Bala Veeranjaneya Swamy were the TDP MLAs suspended from the Assembly on Friday.
Earlier on Thursday, 16 legislators of the opposition Telugu Desam Party were suspended from the Assembly for a day as they protested near the Speaker's podium. The TDP members were on their feet protesting the remarks of Social Welfare Minister Merugu Nagarjuna against their colleague Dalit MLA Dola Sree Bala Veeranjaneya Swamy and demanding that the Minister apologise to the member. The Minister claimed he spoke nothing wrong against a fellow Dalit.
As the House took up a short discussion on decentralisation of administration, the opposition members stormed into the Well of the House and continued their protest. Speaker Thammineni Seetharam asked the TDP legislators to return to their seats but to no avail. Legislative Affairs Minister Buggana Rajendranath then moved a motion for suspension of 16 TDP MLAs from the House for a day. It was carried by a voice vote.
As the suspended members were led away, the House continued the discussion without the opposition. Meanwhile, Deputy Speaker Kona Raghupati tendered his resignation from the post, which was accepted by the Speaker. A notification would be issued on Monday for the election of a new Deputy Speaker.
With PTI and IANS inputs