AMARAVATI: For the second day in a row on Friday, opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) legislators were suspended from Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly.
Speaker Tammineni Seetharam suspended 13 MLAs of the opposition Telugu Desam Party for stalling the proceedings of the House through their protest in the well.
Minister of Finance and Legislative Affairs Buggana Rajendranath Reddy moved a resolution, and the Speaker then declared the suspension.
The TDP members insisted on a discussion on tax increases and inflation. The TDP legislators rose to their feet as soon as the House convened for the day after the Speaker rejected their plea for adjournment. They gathered in the House well, surrounded the speaker's chair, and shouted protests.
The opposition members argued that since tax increases and price increases have put a hardship on the average person, the topic should be considered while other agenda items are put on hold.
The TDP members' disruptive behaviour was strongly disapproved of by the Speaker, who ordered them to take their seats again and cooperate with the orderly operation of the House procedures. The government moved the resolution to suspend the TDP members for one day as they persisted in their protest.
The Speaker told the TDP members to leave the House after the suspension. He requested the marshals to expel the suspended members when they objected.
The employment of marshals was strongly criticised by the opposition lawmakers. But the Speaker insisted that he has the authority to do so.
The entire group of 13 suspended lawmakers was carried out of the House.
The TDP members were suspended on Thursday after they staged a protest demanding the Speaker provide P. Keshav a chance to reply to specific allegations made against him by members of the governing YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) about suspected irregularities in Amaravati land deals.
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