Legislators belonging to the Telugu Desam Party, Communist Party of India-Marxist and Bharatiya Janata Party were suspended for the day from Andhra Pradesh legislative assembly on Thursday for obstructing proceedings.
Speaker K R Suresh Reddy ordered Legislative Affairs Minister K Rosaiah to move the resolution for suspension of CPI-M and TDP members after they stalled the proceedings for 25 minutes over the incident wherein the police misbehaved with CPI-M legislator Sunnam Rajaiah and his family members.
Home Minister K Jana Reddy assured the agitated members that the government has ordered a high-level inquiry into the incident and that the Director-General of Police will initiate stern action against the erring police personnel within 24 hours.
Legislative Affairs Minister K Rosaiah, too, said that the government took a serious view of the incident and it will initiate prompt action.
The Speaker said the entire House was one in condemning the incident wherein the police stopped and detained the legislator and his family members for one and a half hours while they were on the way to Hyderabad and misbehaved with them.
The member concerned has been asked to give a notice of breach of privilege against the police personnel.
CPI-M members protested loudly and stalled the proceedings. The Speaker's repeated pleas to the members to leave the issue at that and cooperate with the Chair for smooth conduct of the House fell on deaf ears.
"You don't heed the Chair's advice. You are not being serious. I am appealing for the last time. Either you register your protest (in a democratic way) or resume your seat. Please protest and go," the Speaker told CPI-M members.
CPI-M floor leader Nomula Narasimhaiah said that mere suspension of erring police officials will not be adequate punishment for the rough treatment meted out to their party leader Sunnam Rajaiah and his family members by the police who fully knew about the identity of the member.
After the Legislative Affairs Minister moved the resolution for suspension of seven CPI-M members for the day, it was the turn of TDP members to mark their protest by obstructing the proceedings. Promptly, the legislative affairs minister moved another resolution under sub-rule 2 of rule 300 of the Assembly rules for the suspension of 19 TDP members from the House for the day.
Earlier, in the morning, two BJP members, including floor leader G Kishen Reddy, were suspended from the House for the day for obstructing the proceedings after their adjournment motion on the issue of Backward Class scholarships was rejected by the Speaker. The suspended BJP members staged a protest near Mahatma Gandhi statue in the assembly premises.
