TDP MLAs suspended; House is not a bazaar, nor you are street rowdies: Andhra Speaker Thammineni Seetharam

The TDP MLAs were making noises with empty water bottles and thumping the benches with books circulated to the members

Andhra Pradesh State Assembly Speaker Thammineni Seetharam has expressed his displeasure and used harsh words against the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MLAs for their “ behaviour” in the House even while suspending them for one day from the House, on March 21.

“This is not a bazaar nor you are street rowdies. This is an Assembly House to discuss the people’s issues. Behave like a responsible Opposition,” he said sternly as the TDP MLAs were making noises with empty water bottles and thumping the benches with books circulated to the members.

The trouble broke out when the Speaker disallowed the TDP’s demand for a discussion on liquor deaths in the State, on Monday.

The TDP members had trooped to the well of the House and climbed to the Speaker’s podium and remained there for about one hour. They kept raising slogans – judicial enquiry into liquor deaths — ignoring the Speaker’s suggestions to participate in the questions raised by them during the question hour. 

As the TDP members were creating a pandemonium, Mr. Seetharam called the marshals to escort them to their seats. Undeterred by this, the TDP MLAs continued to disrupt the proceedings by making noises. Taking strong exception to it, the Speaker suspended them from the House for a day and ordered the marshals to escort them out of the House.

Agriculture Minister Kurasala Kanna Babu asked the chair to review the ‘ethics rules’ and take action to see that they [TDP) would not further think to violate the rules. In response to it, the Speaker said the Legislative Affairs Minister Buggana Rajendranath Reddy and Government Chief Whip G. Srikanth would be asked to look into it.

Further, Mr. Seetharam said that they [TDP] don’t even care for the rulings given by the Chair. The Speaker and Deputy Speaker have discretionary powers. But, we don’t want to use those powers with a hope that they [TDP MLAs] would mend their ways. They disrupted the Governor’s speech. They don’t have respect for the first citizen of this State. They don’t have respect for the sovereign House. Nor for the leader of the House, the Chief Minister. “The TDP MLAs were expected to respect the people’s mandate,” he said.