TDP MLAs suspended from Andhra Pradesh Assembly for fourth day

Amaravati, March 17: For a fourth consecutive day, members of main opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) were suspended from Andhra Pradesh Assembly as they continued to stall proceedings demanding debate on Jangareddygudem hooch tragedy.

Speaker Tammineni Seetharam suspended 11 MLAs from the House for one day after the government moved a resolution.

Like the last three days, TDP members were on their feet as soon as the House met for the day. Though the Speaker rejected their adjournment motion, they insisted on the House taking up debate on the incident in which 25 persons died allegedly after consuming illicitly distilled liquor in Jangareddygudem town during the last few days.

The Speaker said since Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has twice made the statement on the issue, there was no need for any debate.

The opposition legislators continued their protest by raising slogans. They also trooped into the well of the House disrupting the Question Hour. The Speaker pulled up a few MLAs of TDP for recording the House proceedings on their mobile phones. He pointed out that rules do not allow use of mobile phones in the House. He ruled that the members should not bring their mobile phones in the House.

As the MLAs paid no heed to repeated requests of the Speaker to resume their seats, the government moved a resolution for their suspension for one day. After the resolution was passed by a voice vote, the Speaker directed the suspended MLAs to leave the House. As they did not leave the House, the Speaker called marshals to physically remove them.

The opposition party alleged that the Assembly is being run with the help of marshals. Former minister Chinnarajappa said the Chief Minister made a false statement in the Assembly that there were no deaths due to illicit liquor.

The opposition MLAs said the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) government was suppressing their voice by suspending them.

TDP general secretary Nara Lokesh alleged that the government was running away from debate on the issue. He said while Jagan Reddy claimed that all fatalities were natural deaths, the ministers said four to six deaths were caused by illicit liquor.

He demanded that the Chief Minister resign for misleading the Assembly and for betraying the people. He said privileges notice has been given against him for making false statements in the House.