VIJAYAWADA: Three TDP MLAs were suspended from the State Assembly on Tuesday on the charge of obstructing the proceedings of the House. TDP deputy floor leaders K Atchannaidu, Gorantla Butchaiah Chowdary and Nimmala Rama Naidu were suspended for the rest of the Budget session after they allegedly stalled the proceedings after being denied an opportunity to register their protest following government’s reply to their question on pensions.
Pandemonium prevailed for some time with the TDP members Butchaiah Chowdary and Rama Naidu rushing to the Speaker’s podium and other members raising slogans. Despite Deputy Speaker Kona Raghupati’s warning, Rama Naidu went to the Speaker’s chair following which Legislative Affairs Buggana Rajendranath Reddy read out the motion to suspend the three members from the House.
Kona Raghupati suspended the three after the motion was passed. As the three members stayed in the House even after their suspension, marshals were called in and Rama Naidu had to be lifted from the House as he tried to resist the marshals.
Trouble started soon after the session commenced and the first question related to extending pensions to women of over 45 years of age by the government was raised by TDP leader Nimmala Rama Naidu. Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Minister Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy said the government was not extending any such pension. Rama Naidu said that YSRC chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy had promised pensions to women of SC, ST, BC and minorities of over 45 years of age and showed newspaper clippings related to it. Peddireddy, however, maintained that the party manifesto does not have any such promise. The Chief Minister, who entered the House at this juncture, with the permission of the Chair, played a video of his speech made during his padayatra in which he announced the YSR Cheyutha.
The TDP members, however, wanted the Speaker to give them a chance to register their protest against the government for going back on its promise. As the TDP members continued to raise slogans, Jagan intervened and said the Opposition was intentionally twisting facts to mislead people. He once again played the video.
The TDP members, however, continued to raise slogans and Rama Naidu rushed to the Speaker’s chair.
The Deputy Speaker tried to go ahead with the Question Hour, but with the TDP members not relenting, the Legislative Affairs minister read out the resolution to suspend the three members.
Leader of the Opposition N Chandrababu Naidu immediately rushed to the House and showed the newspaper clipping. Intervening, Jagan said the news was of September 10, 2017. “However, in my padayatra at Kotapadu Mandal in Visakhapatnam district was on September 3, 2018. We had included the same in our manifesto,’’ he said.
To prove his point, Jagan, for the third time on the day, played the video.As Naidu was about to speak, Jagan intervened and said the government already gave a clarification on the issue.Later, the Deputy Speaker announced tea break.
