By IANS
Hyderabad : Members of the main opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in Andhra Pradesh state legislative assembly were suspended from the house for the day Monday, as they stalled the proceedings protesting against the suspension of a party legislator till Friday.
Taking strong exception to TDP legislator E. Dayakar Rao’s behaviour, Speaker K.R. Suresh Reddy suspended him. On his direction, Minister for Legislative Affairs K. Rosaiah moved a resolution suspending Rao till Friday. The resolution was adopted with a voice vote.
Protesting against his suspension, TDP legislators rushed to the Speaker’s podium and stalled the proceedings. They wanted him to revoke the suspension.
Amid the din, the legislative affairs minister moved another resolution for suspension of all 25 TDP members present in the house.
Trouble began during question hour when the house was debating problems of welfare hostels. Unsatisfied over Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy’s statement on the issue, the TDP wanted to raise a supplementary.
As the speaker denied the floor to TDP’s deputy leader T. Devender Goud, Dayakar Rao angrily shouted at him. The speaker pulled up the member for his behaviour and asked Rosaiah to move the resolution for his suspension.
Protesting his suspension, the TDP members rushed to the speaker’s podium and this finally led to their suspension. The TDP has 45 members in the 294-member state assembly.
Later, talking to newsmen outside the house, Devender Goud alleged that the government was trying to muzzle their voice by suspending them.
TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu termed the government’s attitude “undemocratic”.