Revanth, Sandra suspended for rest of Telangana Budget Session

​Hyderabad: Telugu Desam Party MLAs, A Revanth Reddy and Sandra Venkata Veeraiah, were suspended for the remaining part of the budget session of the Assembly on Saturday on the charges of attempting to interrupt the speech of Governor ESL Narasimhan on the first day of session on Friday.

Showing solidarity to the TDP, Congress, BJP and CPM members staged a walkout protesting against the Speaker's decision.

Legislative Affairs Minister T Harish Rao said that a decision was taken by the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) that the Governor's address to the joint session of Assembly and Council would not be disrupted in any manner.

However, the TDP legislators passed comments intermittently and tried to disrupt the speech. Speaker S Madhusudan Chary spoke to all the opposition leaders seeking their cooperation in maintaining discipline in the House. The TDP MLAs not only dishonoured the BAC's decision, but also ignored the requests made by the Speaker himself. Therefore, as a disciplinary action, the members were suspended for the remaining of the budget session, said Harish Rao.

Showing a rare unanimity, Congress, BJP and CPM members, staged a walkout protesting against the Speaker's decision. Later, they held a meeting under the leadership of Leader of Opposition K Jana Reddy and demanded that the government revoke the suspension. They met the Speaker and urged him to see that that the suspension was revoked. According to party senior leader Bhatti Vikramarka, the Speaker assured them that he would speak with the Chief Minister and take a decision.

But, the ruling TRS defended the suspension and said, "Unless, TDP legislators apologise to the House for their behaviour, they will not be allowed to attend the House.”Talking to media in the lobbies of the Assembly, Revanth Reddy said that the Speaker never told him that they should not raise any objections during Goveror’s address.

He said the Speaker telephoned him about three days back only to inform him that the session would begin from March 10. In fact, protest during Governor’s address is not a new practice. There are many precedents where opposition had raised objections during President’s address to Parliament and here also the TRS members had themselves indulged in such acts and had even kicked Governor’s chair.

He said this being the first Assembly in the new state, whatever rules the TRS was now enforcing will become precedents for future. “They are laying the road and the successive governments will expand and strengthen it,” he remarked.