SC asks HC to hear plea of Andhra Pradesh MLA over suspension

The Supreme Court today directed the Andhra Pradesh-Telangana High Court to take up for hearing the plea of YSR Congress MLA R K Roja, a popular south Indian actress, challenging her one-year suspension from the assembly for making alleged objectionable comment against Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu.
A bench headed by Justice V Gopala Gowda directed the matter be placed before the Chief Justice of the High Court on Wednesday and asked the matter to be decided expeditiously.
The bench also comprising Justice Arun Mishra said it is not going into the legal provisions but prima facie it appears that the matter is maintainable and can be decided by the high court.

The bench directed the registry to send an email to Andhra Pradesh High Court, so that the matter could be placed before the bench of the Chief Justice of the High Court on Wednesday.
Roja in her petition had said the maximum period for which an MLA could be suspended under the relevant rule was till the remaining period of the session of the House, which got completed on December 22.
The actress-turned-MLA from Nagari constituency in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh had said her suspension from the assembly on December 18 last year was arbitrary and done by a voice vote.

Her suspension had come over alleged objectionable comments made during a debate on the call money racket of private money lenders harassing and exploiting borrowers after providing them easy loans on call.