TDP MLAs suspended again from AP Assembly over hooch tragedy

Amaravati, March 16: Deaths due to consumption of alleged illicit liquor in Jangareddygudem town rocked Andhra Pradesh Assembly again on Wednesday with 11 members of the opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) being suspended from the House for a day.

As the opposition members continued to stall the proceedings demanding a debate on the incident, Deputy Chief Minister Narayanaswamy moved a resolution for suspension of the members for one day. 
Speaker Thammineni Seetharam announced the suspension after the resolution was passed by a voice vote. The TDP MLAs were suspended for a third consecutive day. Eleven members of TDP were suspended from the House for one day on Tuesday for disrupting the proceedings while five members were suspended for the entire budget session.

As soon as the House met for the day, the TDP members were on their feet demanding a debate on the Jangareddygudem issue. As the Speaker disallowed the adjournment motion moved by the TDP, the opposition members trooped into the well of the House.

Raising slogans against the government, they demanded an immediate debate. Amid the pandemonium, the Speaker went ahead with the question hour. Finance minister Buggana Rajendranath alleged that TDP is stalling the proceedings in a planned manner. He said the opposition party was sending its members in batches to the House to disrupt the proceedings.

Members of ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) demanded stringent action against the TDP members. They appealed to the Speaker to protect their rights as members of the House by ensuring order in the House.

The Speaker repeatedly appealed to the TDP members to resume their seats but they continued the protest. The TDP members alleged that 25 people died after consumption of illicitly distilled liquor in Jangareddygudem town during the last few days while the government has claimed that they were all natural deaths.

Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday slammed TDP for what he called deliberately created ruckus in the Assembly though the government has already given clarification. The Chief Minister 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 the government set up Special Enforcement Bureau (SEB) and registered 13,000 cases which shows the government's efforts in curbing illicit liquor.

The Chief Minister flayed a section of media for distorting his statement on natural deaths in the municipality and 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 and reminded that it was the government that took initiative and ordered for post-mortem which shows its sincerity.