HYDERABAD: Defending the suspension of YSRC MLA R K Roja from the AP State Assembly for one year, the Andhra Pradesh government on Wednesday told the Hyderabad High Court that though the Speaker has the power to suspend a member of the House, the suspension of Roja was a collective decision of the House.
Additional advocate general of AP state Dammalapati Srinivas was making this submission before Justice P V Sanjay Kumar who was hearing the petition filed by Roja, representing Nagari constituency in Chittoor district, challenging her suspension from the state Assembly proceedings for a period of one year.
The AAG said that the question of providing an opportunity to member of the House will arise only when the punishment in punitive in nature and in the present case it was only suspension from attending the Assembly proceedings. In fact, the matter was referred to a committee constituted by the Speaker, he noted. The judge asked about the agenda assigned to the said committee.
While adjourning the hearing to Feb 29, the judge issued notices to the state government and Assembly secretary for filing counter affidavits in the case.