11 TDP members suspended from Assembly for creating ruckus
VIJAYAWADA: With the opposition TDP MLAs continuing to disrupt the proceedings of the AP Legislative Assembly on Tuesday demanding a debate on the alleged hooch deaths in Jangareddygudem of West Godavari district, Speaker Tammineni Sitaram suspended them from the House for the day. Immediately after the commencement of the proceedings of the House with Question Hour, the TDP MLAs rushed into the well and raised slogans.
Despite repeated appeals by the Speaker as well as the treasury benches including Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, the TDP members continued to raise slogans.
The Speaker conducted the Question Hour amid the sloganeering and adjourned the House for a while. After resuming the proceedings, the TDP members once again trooped into the Well and raised slogans.
Irked with the attitude of the opposition MLAs, the Speaker suggested Legislative Affairs Minister Buggna Rajendranath to move a motion suspending the TDP MLAs.
The minister moved the motion and the Speaker announced the suspension of 11 TDP MLAs — Adireddy Bhavani, Bendalam Prakash, PGVR Naidu, V Ramakrishna Babu, Nimmakayala China Rajappa, V Jogeswara Rao, Mantena Ramaraju, Gadde Rammohan, Yeluri Sambasiva Rao, Gottipati Ravi Kumar and Anagani Satyaprasad.
Automatic suspension rule to be implemented?
Condemning the attitude of the TDP MLAs, Government Chief Whip G Srikanth Reddy underscored the need for taking certain decisions to save the time and conventions of the House and uplift the dignity of the Legislature. The Chief Whip said that certain State Legislatures drawn lines in the Well of the House marking white, green and red colours indicating that the members crossing the red line would be suspended automatically.
Stating that Mizoram implemented the automatic suspension system, he said the same should be incorporated in the AP Legislature and moved a motion with the approval of the Speaker. According to the Motion, in the event of grave disorder occasioned by members coming into the well of House crossing the said lines or abusing the Rules of the House persistently and willfully obstructing its business by shouting slogans or otherwise, such members would be suspended automatically without moving any motion. The member will be suspended from the House for three consecutive sittings or the remainder of the Session, whichever is less. The House, through a motion, can terminate the suspension, the motion read. The Speaker referred the matter to the Rules Committee.
CM slams TDP
Hitting hard at the TDP, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy said that the Opposition deliberately created ruckus in the Assembly for the second consecutive day over the Jangareddygudem issue, on which the government has already given a clarification in the House.
He said TDP leaders should apply basic logic and wondered how someone can brew illicit liquor in Jangareddygudem, which has a population of 55,000 and where the entire government machinery has its full presence. Preparing illicit liquor may be possible in remote places and it’s not easy to prepare in a municipality like Jangareddygudem. He said a Special Enforcement Bureau was set up and 13,000 cases were registered, which shows the commitment of the government in curbing illicit liquor.
Expressing shock over the remarks of Leader of the Opposition N Chandrababu Naidu on the issue, he said the TDP chief has been making contradictory statements. Naidu claimed that the government has taken Rs 25,000 crore loan through Beverages Corporation and was preparing ground for taking another Rs 25,000 crore loan. In the same breath, he was saying that the government has been encouraging hooch, unmindful of the fact that State revenues will fall by that. The Chief Minister flayed a section of the media for distorting his statement on average deaths in the municipality. He said the records made it clear that the death rate is two per cent across the country and considering the population of Jangareddygudem as 55,000, there would be 1,000 deaths per year which means 90 deaths per month.
He said the deaths didn’t occur at a single place and happened over a period of one week at multiple locations and their funeral was also completed without any problem.
