TRS, BJP legislators suspended for two days

All legislators of Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were Monday suspended for two days from Andhra Pradesh state legislative assembly for stalling the proceedings of the house.

Speaker N. Manohar suspended 22 members of the two parties after Finance Minister Anam Ramnarayana Reddy moved a resolution.

All 17 members of TRS including party floor leader E. Rajender and three members of BJP and two independents supporting them have been suspended.

The resolution for suspension was moved after the TRS and BJP lawmakers continued to disrupt the proceedings demanding a resolution on formation of separate Telangana state and a debate on the 'illegal' arrests of protestors during last week's 'chalo assembly'.

As soon as the house met for the day, the speaker rejected the adjournment motions sought to be moved by the opposition parties. The TRS and BJP members trooped into the well of the house.

Amid the din, the speaker adjourned the house for half-an-hour and called a meeting of floor leaders of all parties in his chambers to end the stalemate. The meeting, however, failed to end the deadlock.

When the house re-assembled, the TRS and BJP legislators continued their protest. Raising slogans of 'Jai Telangana' they surrounded the speaker's podium.

TRS member P. Srinivasa Reddy said their suspension hurt the self-respect of Telangana people. He termed it as a black day in the state's legislative history.

The second phase of the budget session began last Monday but TRS stalled the proceedings and did not allow the house to take up any listed business, demanding that a resolution be passed urging the centre to grant separate statehood to Telangana.