Members of the Telugu Desam Party, Andhra Pradesh's main opposition party, were suspended during Question Hour for obstructing the proceedings of the House on Wednesday morning.
This is for the first time that the opposition members have been suspended for the specific period of "question hour during the day".
Earlier, the members used to be suspended from the service of the House for a day or two.
In all, 34 TDP members, barring Leader of the Opposition N Chandrababu Naidu, were suspended after Legislative Affairs Minister K Rosaiah moved a motion in this regard.
As soon as the Assembly sitting began at 0830 IST, the House witnessed uproarious scenes with the TDP members displaying placards and shouting slogans demanding immediate discussion on the Rs 400-crore scandal in Sripadasagar project contracts.
It was on the same issue that the members of five major opposition parties were suspended from the Assembly for two days on Monday.
Speaker K R Suresh Reddy repeatedly asked the agitated members to restore order in the House but in vain.
The speaker adjourned the House for a while.
The House witnessed acrimonious exchanges between TDP members and the ruling Congress when the sitting resumed. The legislative affairs minister asked the TDP members to "take some rest during question hour" and return to the House later as the matter relating to Sripadasagar contract has been listed for discussion after the Question Hour.
As TDP members rushed towards the podium and shouted slogans, the speaker named the members and they were suspended for the question hour after the motion was moved and adopted by the House.
The five-member Majlis-e-Ittehaadul Muslimeen group staged a walkout in protest against the suspension of TDP members.
© 2024 Rediff.com -