YSR Congress's 15 members suspended from Andhra assembly

The YSR Congress Party's (YSRCP) 15 legislators were Thursday suspended from the Andhra Pradesh state assembly for a day for stalling the house as they opposed the proposed bifurcation of the state.

Speaker N. Manohar suspended the legislators after Minister for Legislative Affairs S. Sailajanath moved a motion for their suspension.

YSRCP lawmakers surrounded the speaker's podium, demanding that the house pass a resolution urging the central government to keep the state united.

Both the speaker and the legislative affairs minister repeatedly appealed to the legislators to resume their seats and cooperate in the debate on the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill, 2013, sent by the president to the assembly for its opinion.

As YSRCP members continued to stall proceedings, the minister moved a motion for their suspension. The speaker announced that the house adopted the motion with a voice vote. As the legislators refused to leave the house, the speaker called in the marshals, who bodily lifted them out.

Protesting the suspension, YSRCP leader Y.S. Vijayamma staged a walkout.

After coming out of the assembly building, the legislators staged a sit-in on the road, leading to a traffic jam. Police arrested the lawmakers and shifted them to a police station.

The members were suspended a few minutes after the house re-assembled, following two adjournments.

The speaker twice adjourned the house in the morning as YSRCP members continued to stall proceedings. They wanted the speaker to first pass a resolution for a united Andhra Pradesh before taking up the debate on the bill.