Following the “agitating mood of the House,” Assembly Speaker Thammineni Seetharam on Wednesday referred the TDP members’ “unruly behaviour” to the ethics committee.
They also made derogatory remarks against the Chair and as the first step, the matter was being referred to the ethics committee, Mr. Seetharam said. The Opposition MLAs were not present when Speaker announced his decision.
In a rather stern voice, he said: “I may hail from backward classes, but I am not weak. Even the Opposition leader knows it,” he said, adding, “I wanted to utilise all available options before taking action. We need to follow rules and conventions of the House.”
The Speaker said it is was evident that the TDP members had come to the House with a “preoccupied mind” to disrupt the proceedings. They straight away rushed towards the podium. They gave an adjournment motion even before the Chair took a decision. In the process, they wasted two hours’ time.
On top of it, they cast aspersions on the Chair saying they were walking out against “the Speaker’s attitude.” A TDP member sought to know whether there was a resolution to call marshals. A resolution was required to suspend members. “But, let them show if there were any conventions or rules to call the marshals. They should understand that the marshals were called only to send them back to their respective seats,” he said.
‘Let people decide’
The Speaker said everyone was asking him why he was tolerating the misconduct of the TDP MLAs, but he exercised restraint as they were also members.
There was an elected government which wanted to develop three capitals or go for decentralisation of governance. The Opposition MLAs have every right to express their views and opinions but not stall the proceedings even after the Bill was adopted. People would judge the government’s actions, he said.
Earlier, YSRCP members urged the Chair to take action against the TDP members who staged a walkout.
