TRS forces AP assembly closure till Monday

Telangana Rashtra Samithi members stalled the Andhra Pradesh legislative Assembly for the third consecutive day on Friday, leading to the adjournment of the House till Monday.

Speaker K R Suresh Reddy adjourned the assembly for the day around 10.25 am, amidst uproarious scenes. TRS members, who had stormed into the well of the House, had surrounded the Speaker's podium raising slogans and displaying placards.

They demanded that the House take up their adjournment motion on the demand for separate Telangana state and adopt a resolution urging the Central government to take steps in this regard.

As in the two previous days, trouble began as soon as the assembly sitting commenced at 8.30 am. TRS members loudly protested when the Speaker disallowed their adjournment notice. Raising slogans of "Jai, jai Telangana," they rushed towards the Speaker's podium. The Speaker adjourned the House for half-an-hour.

However, when the House reassembled around 10.20, uproarious scenes prevailed due to protests by the agitating TRS members. Irritated by the behaviour of the TRS members, the Speaker said that stalling the proceedings for three days was not good.

He said that he had come forward to allow the issue to be raised in a different form under the Assembly rules. He had called the floor leaders of all parties and sought their opinion on when and how this issue could be discussed in the House.

But the TRS members ignored the pleas and disrupted the proceedings for three days, thereby preventing the House from transacting any business.  This went against the public interest.  

"I am appealing to all floor leaders to sit over it and decide. This is not the way this House has to function. The House is adjourned to meet again at 8.30 am on Monday, August 28," the Speaker said.

After the House was adjourned for the day, the TRS members trooped out of the hall and staged a dharna in front of the Speaker's chambers. Later, they dispersed.

The floor leaders of other opposition parties criticized the TRS members for obstructing the proceedings of the Assembly. They also blamed the government for 'keeping quiet' instead of getting the TRS members suspended from the Assembly for stalling the session.