Telugu Desam Party MLAs suspended from the Assembly for the day

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy said it was unfortunate that the TDP MLAs came with a plan to create a disturbance, unable to take the government’s performance in their stride.

Legislative Assembly Speaker Thammineni Seetharam suspended all Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MLAs for Thursday (March 16) as they disrupted the proceedings soon after Finance Minister Buggana Rajendranath Reddy started presenting the Budget for FY 2023-24.

K. Atchannaidu, Gorantla Butchaiah Chowdary and others shouted that the Budget was a futile exercise as the State was debt-ridden and the government could not even make timely payment of salaries to it employees, notwithstanding Mr. Rajendranath Reddy’s opening remarks that the State had been going through tough times for over four years due to the impact of COVID-19 pandemic.

Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy who entered the House a few minutes earlier, said it was unfortunate that the TDP MLAs came with a plan to create a disturbance, unable to take the government’s performance in their stride.

He insisted that the Opposition MLAs should, therefore, be cleared out to facilitate presentation of the Budget which was being eagerly awaited by the people. As the TDP MLAs trooped in to the well of the House and flung papers towards the Speaker’s podium, Mr. Seetharam said they have the freedom to walk out if not in a mood to listen to the FM or be sent out.

He said the TDP MLAs could comment on the Budget during the scheduled discussion on it or before the media. The Speaker then suspended the TDP MLAs after a resolution to that effect was duly passed by Mr. Rajendranath Reddy, who is also Minister for Legislative Affairs. The Opposition MLAs walked out on their own as marshals came in to evict them.

Resuming his speech, Mr. Rajendranath Reddy said it was unprecedented that the Opposition sought to stall the Budget presentation and they deserved to be sent out.