Seventeen members of main opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) were suspended from Andhra Pradesh Assembly on Monday amid pandemonium during a discussion over the bills to develop three state capitals. Speaker Tammineni Seetharam announced the suspension of the TDP legislators after Minister for Legislative Affairs B. Rajendranath Reddy moved a motion in this regard.
As the suspended members refused to leave the House, the Speaker called marshals who physically lifted them out. The motion to suspend the TDP members was moved on the suggestion of Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, who was irked by repeated interruptions by the opposition legislators during his reply to the debate. Raising slogans of ”Jai Amaravati”, the TDP members trooped into the well of the House and surrounded the Speaker”s podium after their leader N. Chandrababu Naidu”s mike was cut.
As the leader of opposition continued speaking despite repeated requests by the Speaker, Jagan Mohan Reddy stood up to urge the Speaker to stop him and started replying to the debate, triggering protest from the opposition. The Assembly continued discussion on Andhra Pradesh Decentralization and Inclusive Development of All Regions Bill and Capital Region Development Authority Repeal Bill throughout the day.
The Bills are aimed at developing Visakhapatnam and Kurnool as the two other state capitals, in addition to Amaravati.The opposition is demanding that Amaravati be continued as the only state capital.
