Speaker of the Telangana Legislative Assembly Madhusudhana Chary on Tuesday suspended 14 members of the Congress, including secretary of the Congress Legislature Party Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, when they repeatedly disrupted the proceedings of the House over the TRS encouraging defections.
As the suspended Congress members refused to leave the House after suspension, marshals were called in to physically evict them. The Congress MLAs since morning had stalled the House demanding taking up of their adjournment motion on defections. They decried the alleged ‘unconstitutional acts of the ruling party members and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao by encouraging defections.’
Leader of the Opposition K. Jana Reddy walked out of the House by himself as party members were being lifted by the marshals. They walked out through the main entrance of the lobbies and squatted at entry gate number three, which earlier used to be the official entrance for the Leader of Opposition.
ADVERTISEMENT
Those who were suspended include Mr. Bhatti Vikramarka, Uttam Kumar Reddy, Padmavathi Reddy, D.K. Aruna, J. Geeta, T. Jeevan Reddy, Ramreddy Damodar Reddy, Chittem Ramamohan Reddy, T. Ramamohan Reddy, Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, Puvvada Ajay, Sampath Kumar, Patlolla Kishta Reddy and Nallomothu Bhaskar Rao.
Earlier, the House was adjourned twice amidst bedlam, with the Congress members storming the well repeatedly. While the Congress demanded an adjournment motion to discuss the defections issue, the Bharatiya Janata Party members sought an adjournment motion to discuss the issue of social security pensions.
ADVERTISEMENT
Minister for Legislative Affairs T. Harish Rao tried in vain to press his point, referring to a Supreme Court judgment that meant that the issue of ‘anti-defections’ could not be discussed in the House. Even as he started reading out the judgment, the Congress members rushed to the well of the House. A little later, Mr. Rao moved the proposal seeking suspension of the Congress members saying that much as the government wanted to conduct the business of the House, the Opposition seemed hell-bent on disrupting it.
In reply to the BJP’s proposal for an adjournment motion, Minister for Panchayati Raj, K.T. Rama Rao said Government was committed to see that every eligible person was given the pensions and said that if the BJP so desired, Government would make available in the House, all the relevant papers, including Government Orders. Once the Congress members were suspended and physically evicted by the marshals, the House resumed its business, a little after noon. The Speaker said question hour was over and done with, adding that all questions were deemed to have been answered.