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15 more Congress MLAs suspended in AP

Syed Amin Jafri in Hyderabad

Fifteen Congress members were suspended from the Andhra Pradesh legislative assembly on Saturday morning, for obstructing proceedings on the power tariff hike issue.

Saturday's suspensions bring the number of Congress members suspended in two days to 75.

The Congress has a strength of 90 members in a House of 294.

The lastest suspension came after the House witnessed noisy scenes when Congress members rushed towards the podium of the Speaker and raised slogans like 'We want rollback of tariff hike', 'Chief minister, down, down' and 'Don't stifle the voice of the opposition'.

Congress member T Jeevan Reddy demanded that Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu hold the hike in abeyance till the proposed House committee submitted its report on the issue.

However, the government refused to stay the hike.

Finance and Legislative Affairs Minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu said that the discussion on the issue concluded on Friday. It was a closed chapter and the Congress members could not reopen the issue, he asserted.

As the Congress members continued to disrupt the proceedings, the legislative affairs minister moved a motion for their suspension "for the morning session" on Saturday.

When the suspended members refused to leave the House, marshals bodily lifted them out.

Four Majlis-e-Ittehaadul Muslimeen legislators staged a walk-out over the state government's attempts to stifle opposition in the assembly. They demanded that the hike be kept in abeyance till the House committee looked into the issue and submitted its report.

As soon as the House assembled for the day, Bharatiya Janata Party floor leader N Indrasena Reddy and MIM floor leader Asaduddin Owaisi pleaded with the government for revocation of the suspension on Friday of 60 Congress members for three working days.

The legislative affairs minister said, "We are ready to get their suspension orders revoked. The House is slated to take up an important discussion on the adverse impact of the 11th Finance Commission recommendations on the state. The opposition members must co-operate with us and participate in the important debate."

Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu said he had no objection to revocation of the suspension of 60 members.

"We have to discuss the commission report and adopt a resolution in this regard. The state stands to lose millions on account of the recommendations during the current financial year alone. We seek the co-operation of all parties in adopting a unanimous resolution on the issue," he explained.

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