HYDERABAD: Former minister G Jagadish Reddy was suspended from the Legislative Assembly for the remainder of the ongoing Budget Session after making comments deemed disparaging and insulting towards Speaker G Prasad Kumar. The suspension followed a heated exchange between the MLA and the Speaker on Thursday.
It all began when Prasad Kumar cautioned Jagadish Reddy to maintain decorum during the proceedings. To de-escalate the situation, the Speaker advised the senior BRS legislator and former minister not to lose his temper and to respect the traditions and conventions of the Assembly.
“Jagadish Reddy garu, don’t get intolerant. Honour the traditions and conventions of the House. You are a senior member and have served as a minister previously,” the Speaker stated.
In response, Jagadish Reddy challenged the Speaker’s remarks, asking, “I demand to know which conventions of the House I have violated?” The Speaker then explained that questioning the Speaker itself was a breach of parliamentary traditions.
This explanation prompted a more forceful retort from Jagadish Reddy, who insisted, “This House belongs to everyone here. Everyone has equal rights. You are a representative of all of us. This is not something you own.”
The comments sparked outrage among the treasury benches, with Congress legislators vehemently opposing what they considered an affront to the dignity of the House. Despite calls for him to retract his statement and issue an apology, Jagadish Reddy refused to back down.
Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, addressing the Assembly after it resumed, stated that the remarks were an attack on the integrity of the House.
Suspension reflects mood of the House, says Bhatti
He called for the former minister’s suspension in accordance with the “mood of the House,” stating that disparaging statements against the Speaker or ministers would not be tolerated in any legislative body.
Vikramarka urged the Speaker to refer the matter to the Ethics Committee and to take appropriate disciplinary action.
Legislative Affairs Minister D Sridhar Babu also weighed in on the issue, referencing Assembly business rules that prohibit members from making comments against the Speaker. “No member should make any comments against the Honourable Speaker, either inside or outside the House.
Any such comment is considered contempt of the House,” Sridhar Babu stated, adding that the Speaker’s decision was final and cannot be questioned. He also stated that Jagadish Reddy’s actions were a disgrace to the dignity of the Assembly.
With the support of the ruling party, Sridhar Babu moved a motion under Assembly Rules to suspend Jagadish Reddy for the rest of the session. The Speaker then called for a vote on the motion, which passed, resulting in Reddy’s suspension.
“The motion is carried, and the member is suspended from the services of the House for the remainder of the session,” the Speaker announced.