The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has resolved to boycott the remaining three days of the Assembly session in protest against the denial of an opportunity to put across their views on former Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s arrest and the partiality allegedly shown by Speaker Thammineni Seetharam in conducting the legislative business.
TDP State president and Tekkali MLA K. Atchannaidu announced this in a press conference on September 22.
He said the TDP was prepared to discuss the skill development scam if the government had the courage to call for a five-day exclusive session, and that his party MLAs would try to persuade Mr. Chandrababu Naidu, who had vowed not to attend the Assembly sessions, to relent in order to expose the manner in which criminal charges were framed against him.
Earlier in the day, Mr. Seetharam rejected the adjournment motion moved by the TDP for debating the issue (Mr. Naidu’s arrest), on the ground that a discussion about it was on the agenda.
He suspended Mr. Atchannaidu and Ichchapuram MLA Bendalam Ashok for video-recording the proceedings on their mobile phones, for the entire session.
MLAs Nimmala Rama Naidu (Palakollu), Velagapudi Ramakrishna Babu (Visakhapatnam East) and Gorantla Butchaiah Chowdary (Rajahmundry Rural) were suspended for the day for blowing whistles in the House.
Mr. Ashok and Mr. Butchaiah Chowdary were carried out by the marshals. The TDP MLAs eventually walked out, denouncing the vindictive attitude of the government.
The TDP MLAs were raising slogans throughout the pre-lunch session, and some of them stood on their benches in spite of being faulted by the Speaker.
