Chaos erupted in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly on Tuesday morning, leading to the suspension of three Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MLAs for the rest of the session.
Minister for Legislative Affairs Buggana Rajendranath requested the Deputy Speaker Kona Raghupathi to suspend the three MLAs Atchannaidu Kinjarapu (Tekkali), Gorantla Butchaiah Chowdary (Rajahmundry Rural) and Nimmala Ramanaidu (Palacole) from the Assembly Budget session, which the Speaker accepted.
“They are stalling the Assembly proceedings on purpose. In order to respect the House, the time of the session and the welfare of the people, under the proviso to sub rule 2 of rule 340, I request that the following members may be suspended from the services of the House for the rest of the session.”
The uproar began during a discussion over a pension scheme, with Ramanaidu demanding clarification over a supposed manifesto promise made by the YSRCP on providing pensions for SC, ST, BC and minority women starting from the age of 45. After the Minister of Panchayati Raj Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy clarified that no such promise was made in the manifesto, Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy had a video of his election promises speech played in the Assembly.
Following this, the TDP leaders insisted that they must be allowed to play a different video in their possession. With the government refusing, the Speaker moved on to the next question, leading to pandemonium in the Assembly. An infuriated Buggana proposed that three TDP MLAs be suspended for their conduct.
It was a fiery scene during the ongoing #budget session of #AndhraPradesh assembly which lead to Deputy Speaker Kona Raghupathi suspending 3 TDP MLA’s and Senior leaders Atchannaidu, Gorantla Butchaiah Chowdary and Nimmala Rama Naidu for rest of the session. pic.twitter.com/M7wSJU7UVN
— Aashish (@Ashi_IndiaToday) July 23, 2019
The suspended MLAs spoke to the media after leaving the Assembly, with Atchannaidu claiming that they had evidence of the contested election promise on a pen drive. “Either they must accept that they have written lies about the TDP for the past five years in Sakshi (newspaper that belongs to Jagan), and apologise to the people for misleading them, or live up to the promise made in their paper to provide pension from the age of 45,” he said.
“Because I have been repeatedly questioning the government over their manifesto promises on behalf of the people, they have targeted me and suspended me and two others. I did not move from my place, I did not say anything vulgar, I strongly condemn the suspension,” said Atchannaidu.
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