YSRCP MLAs suspended for stalling Assembly

Hyderabad, Jan 9 (INN): As many as 15 MLAs of YSR Congress Party were suspended for a day on Thursday for disrupting the proceedings of the State Legislative Assembly. Five YSRCP MLCs were also suspended for a day from Legislative Council.

The YSRCP MLAs continued to stall the proceedings of the House demanding a resolution in the House to keep Andhra Pradesh united before taking up the debate on Telangana Bill.

As soon as the House met at 9 AM on Thursday, the YSRCP members trooped into the well raising Jai Samaikhyandhra slogans. They were countered by the TRS and TDP MLAs from Telangana region.

YSRCP floor leader YS Vijaya Lakshmi and TDP's Anand Babu also moved adjournment motion notices seeking a resolution on united AP. With the YSRCP members not responding to the appeals to resume the seats, Speaker Nadendla Manohar adjourned the House for half-an-hour.

Similar uproarious scenes were witnessed when the House met again at about 11.13 AM. Vijay Lakshmi insisted that the House first pass a resolution to keep the State united before taking up debate on Telangana Bill. Further, she said that the Bill should be subjected to clause-by-clause voting.

The Speaker reminded that all floor leaders including Vijay Laksmi has agreed to take up debate on Telangana Bill during the BAC meeting. But now the YSRCP MLAs were not cooperating with the Chair.

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Anam Ramnarayana Reddy said that all members have a right to express their views and the Telangana Bill should be respected as it has been sent by the President of India.

He said that Bill has been sent only for views and general voting would be done, only if it was requierd. He said that the stand taken by YSRCP was wrong. He expressed regret that the Assembly could not take up any business for the last 10 sessions.

TDP's P Keshav accused the YSRCP of hijacking the session. He alleged that YSRCP chief Jagan Mohan Reddy was not against bifurcation although he was "enacting dramas" in favour of Samaikhyandhra. Amid uproar, the Speaker again adjourned the House for half-an-hour at 11.37 AM.

The YSRCP members continued slogan shouting when the House re-assembly again at about 12.28 PM. Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and Leader of the Opposition N Chandrababu Naidu were present in the House.

Having failed to convince the YSRCP members to resume their seats, the Speaker asked Legislative Affairs minister S Sailajanath to move the resolution for the suspension of 15 MLAs for a day.

The MLAs who were suspended include Amarnath Reddy, Golla Baburao, Thellam Balaraju, Mekapati Chandrashekhar Reddy, Gurnath Reddy, Bhumana,Dharmana Krishna Dasu, Kapu Ram Chandrasekhar Reddy, Pinnelli Ramakrishna Reddy, Shoba Nagi Reddy, Srikanth Reddy, Balaneni Srinivas Reddy, K.Srinivasulu, Mekathoti Sucherita,and Venkat Ramireddy.

When the members refused to leave the house, the Speaker called in the marshals, who removed the MLAs by force. As a mark of protest, YSRCP floor leader Vijay Lakshmi also walked out of the House.