Andhra Pradesh assembly: 10 TDP members suspended for a day

As soon as the third day of the Budget session started, TDP members rose to their feet and demanded a discussion on the adjournment motion moved by them on issues concerning the farmers in the state

Hyderabad

State finance minister Buggana Rajendranath Reddy said the TDP had no interest in listening to the government which was presenting the state budget on Wednesday. (PTI)

For the second consecutive day, Andhra Pradesh state assembly speaker Tammineni Seetharam on Wednesday suspended 10 legislators of the opposition Telugu Desam Party for the day, for allegedly disrupting the proceedings of the House.

As soon as the third day of the Budget session started, TDP members rose to their feet and demanded a discussion on the adjournment motion moved by them on issues concerning the farmers in the state. The speaker, however, disallowed the notice for the adjournment motion.

The TDP members stormed the podium and raised slogans against the government and its anti-farmer policies. As the members continued to disrupt the proceedings despite repeated appeals by Seetharam, he had announced suspension of the TDP MLAs from the House for the day.

The suspended TDP MLAs are: Bendalam Ashok, K Atchennaidu, Nandamuri Balakrishna, G Buchaiah Chowdary, Nimmakayala Chinna Rajappa, G Venkat Reddy Naidu, Velagapudi Ramakrishna Babu, Nimmala Rama Naidu, Rama Raju and Dola Bala Veeranjaneya Swamy.

When the suspended TDP members refused to go out of the House and continued to storm the podium, the speaker called marshals to forcibly evict the members out of the House.

Speaking to reporters later, TDP MLA Nimmala Rama Naidu alleged that the YSR Congress party government led by Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy was least bothered about the plight of farmers and was unwilling to discuss critical issues concerning the agriculture sector.

“In the last five years, the Jagan government has not given priority to the farmers. Andhra Pradesh ranks second in farmers’ suicides and third in tenant farmers’ suicides under Jagan regime,” he alleged.

State finance minister Buggana Rajendranath Reddy said the TDP had no interest in listening to the government which was presenting the state budget on Wednesday. “The TDP members are only trying to hog the media limelight by disrupting the proceedings,” he said.

He ridiculed that the TDP members could do nothing original as even the slogans they were raising were copied from elsewhere. “Copying is TDP’s patent right and a copyright. We used to shout Bye Bye Babu and now there are doing the same. Even the pamphlets they distributed today and the promises they are making are copied,” he pointed out.