Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on Thursday suspended 21 members of the Lower House for four days for creating a ruckus in the House. They included MPs from the TDP, AIADMK and an unattached YSR Congress leader. The action was taken under Rule 374 A of the Lok Sabha, meaning they cannot attend the remaining days of the session, which concludes on January 8.
Ms. Mahajan adjourned the House for the day soon after 2 pm. These suspensions came on the back of suspensions of 24 AIADMK members on Wednesday, taking the number of members suspended on two consecutive days to 45.
While the AIADMK has 37 members in the Lok Sabha, the TDP has 15. In February, 2014, the then Speaker Meira Kumar had suspended 18 MPs from Andhra Pradesh following repeated protests in the House.
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Proceedings in the Lok Sabha during the winter session that commenced on December 11 have been repeatedly stalled due to protests by AIADMK and TDP members over a proposed dam on the Cauvery and special status to Andhra Pradesh, respectively.
As soon as zero hour commenced at noon on Thursday, the AIADMK and TDP members trooped into the well, raising slogans and carrying banners.
The AIADMK members flung papers towards the chair several times. Amid the ruckus, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Narendra Singh Tomar appealed to the agitating MPs to return to their seats.
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As the members refused to budge, the Speaker suspended the members for the next four sittings of the House.
Among the suspended MPs were former Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju (TDP), Thota Narasimham (TDP) and Renuka Butta (unattached) who had won on a YSR Congress ticket.
“You are wilfully obstructing the proceedings of the House. I am, therefore, constrained to name you and suspend you for four consecutive days,” Ms Mahajan said.
The Speaker subsequently adjourned the House till 2 pm after conducting business for nearly 15 minutes during the Zero Hour.
When the House met again at 2 pm, some members continued protest in the Well despite being suspended.
She then suspended two more TDP membes for disrupting proceedings. Amid the din, the House was adjourned for the day without taking up the remaining part of debate on the Rafale issue.
(With PTI inputs)