Hyderabad

Suspension Likely If MLAs Obstruct Governor's Address

Express News Service

HYDERABAD: The legislators who might try to obstruct the governor’s address on the first day of the budget session of the state Assembly might face music. They might even face suspension from the House for one year.

At a meeting of the Assembly Rules Committee here on Monday, legislative affairs minister T Harish Rao suggested that MLAs who try to obstruct the governor’s address to the Assembly be suspended from the House. The practice is in vogue in Maharashtra and some other states, the legislative affairs minister said.

However, opposition MLAs G Kishan Reddy (Bharatiya Janata Party) and Sunnam Rajaiah of Congress objected to it.

“As opposition, we will raise our voice and that can not be stifled,” they said. To this, the legislative affairs minister said sloganeering or ‘running commentary’ can be tolerated but hurling paper missiles or rushing to the governor’s chair and trying to snatch away the speech copies would not be permitted at all. The committee, however, did not take a final decision on the matter.

The meeting also discussed the feasibility of conducting Assembly proceedings in two sessions _ 10 am to 2 pm and 4 pm to 7 pm _ if the day’s agenda remains unfinished.

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