AP: TRS MLAs suspended again

Eleven Telangana Rashtra Samithi members were suspended from the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly for obstructing its proceedings on Friday morning.

As soon as the day's session commenced at 8.30 am, TRS members protested loudly when Speaker K R Suresh Reddy rejected their adjournment motion on the Telangana issue. They raised slogans and waved placards demanding that the Assembly pass a resolution urging the Centre to take steps for the creation of a separate Telangana state.

Telugu Desam Party, Communist Party of India-Marxist and Communist Party of India members also created a furor in the House after the Speaker disallowed their adjournment motion on the hike in prices of petrol and diesel.

TDP members rushed towards the podium and raised slogans, demanding the rollback of the petrol and diesel price hike. The Speaker adjourned the House for 10 minutes when the agitated members did not heed his pleas to go back to their seats.

After the House re-assembled, it took up the debate on Chief Minister Dr Y S Rajasekhar Reddy's statement on the Telangana statehood issue. After the floor leaders of the Communist Party of India-Marxist, Communist Party of India, Majlis-e-Ittehaadul Muslimeen and the Bharatiya Janata Party spoke on the issue, Irrigation Minister Ponnala Lakshmaiah rose to clarify on the progress of irrigation projects in Telangana region.

TRS members once again started shouting slogans and rushed towards the podium,demanding that the House adopt the resolution favouring Telangana statehood.

The Speaker asked them to go back to their seats. When they refused to do so, Finance and Legislative Affairs Minister K Rosaiah moved the motion for suspending the 11 TRS members till the evening of February 18.

It is the second time in two days that the TRS members have been suspended. On Thursday, they were suspended from the House for five days but the suspensions were revoked and they were allowed back to participate in the debate on Telangana.

In the Legislative Council, TRS members were suspended on two consecutive days. Council chairman A Chakrapani ordered their suspension till February 18 for obstructing the proceedings.