Unruly scenes were witnessed in the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly on Tuesday as the Opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MLAs blew whistles and squatted in the well of the House. Six TDP MLAs were suspended for the rest of the Budget session.
Speaker Thammineni Seetharam suspended the six MLAs for “disrupting proceedings” over the issue of suspicious deaths in Jangareddygudem in West Godavari district. They raised slogans against the Speaker and tried to troop near the podium prompting Mr. Seetharam to suspend them. Initially, four TDP members — Bendalam Ashok, Velagapudi Ramakrishna Babu, Anagani Satya Prasad, and Ramaraju — were suspended from the House for the rest of the Budget Session. Following which, the other TDP MLAs walked out along with them.
As the Question Hour was going on, the TDP MLAs entered the House again and stood near their benches. TDP Vijayawada (East) MLA Gadde Rammohan Rao whistled twice while his fellow members stood silent. As the Speaker was suggesting him to maintain decorum of the House, TDP MLA Yeluri Sambasiva Rao entered into an argument with the Chair.
Taking serious note of it, and the “unruly behaviour” of the legislators, the Speaker announced that Mr. Rammohan Rao and Mr. Sambasiva Rao had been suspended for the rest of the Budget session.
“All the time you (TDP) are resorting to stereophonic activities. Don’t try to ransack the House. I will not allow it to happen,” he said, in a rather stern voice.
Further, he said that he was “maintaining restraint” to uphold democracy. The Chair was putting up with their (TDP) “uncivilised behaviour” expecting that they would participate in the Question Hour. It should not be viewed as inefficiency of the Chair. The stalemate and pandemonium cannot be allowed. There was a limit for anything, he said, adding, “The TDP MLAs should say with conscience whether their actions were correct.”
