Expressing anguish over the “unruly behaviour” of TDP MLAs in the run-up to the passage of the Dr. NTR University of Health Sciences (Amendment) Bill in the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday, Speaker Thammineni Seetharam referred the matter to the Privileges Committee to look into it and take stern action against those who created ugly scenes.
Addressing the Treasury benches before adjourning the monsoon session sine die in the evening, Mr. Seetharam said it was unfortunate that the TDP MLAs had almost ransacked the House, and some of them used filthy language in criticising the move to name Dr. NTR University of Health Sciences after former Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy.
“The anarchy created by them (TDP MLAs) is highly deplorable. A decision should be taken on how to put an end to all this. It was a testing time for me to bear with their conduct. The House is aware of the history of some of them,” the Speaker observed.
Responding to the Speaker’s comments, Water Resources Minister Ambati Rambabu said the TDP MLAs could have sought an opportunity to present their argument against renaming the NTRUHS in a democratic manner, but the way they disrupted the session was shameful, and assured that the House would stand by the Speaker, who then ordered that the incident be referred to the Privileges Committee.
Soon after the House reassembled around 11 a.m. after a break, the TDP MLAs resumed the protest (which they began at the very beginning of the day’s proceedings) against renaming NTRUHS and flung copies of the Bill above the Speaker, whom they surrounded on the podium.
As they paid no heed to the Speaker’s repeated warnings and kept raising slogans such as ‘NTR Johar’ and ‘NTR Amar Rahe’, Legislative Affairs Minister Buggana Rajendranath Reddy recommended their suspension.
Mr. Seetharam then declared that the TDP MLAs were suspended and ordered the marshals to physically lift them out.
But, the TDP MLAs refused to vacate the podium even as the marshals started using force, resulting in a scuffle.
MLAs Gorantla Butchaiah Chowdary, Nimmala Rama Naidu, Velagapudi Ramakrishna and some others hit back at the marshals while being pushed out. This is what angered the Speaker and prompted him to recommend disciplinary action by the Privileges Committee.
