Opposition members suspended from AP House

HYDERABAD, AUG 18: Seventy-two Opposition members belonging to the Congress, Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) and Left parties were today ...

HYDERABAD, AUG 18: Seventy-two Opposition members belonging to the Congress, Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) and Left parties were today suspended from Andhra Pradesh Assembly for periods ranging from one to three days for obstructing proceedings, even as the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) Government conceded a combined opposition demand for constituting a House Committee to go into the power reforms issue.

As the power tariff issue rocked the House for the sixth day, the Opposition attack gained stridency forcing the Government to agree for a House Committee to make a comparative study of the status of power reforms, tariff structures

and management of power sector in various states.

The demand for a House Committee to go into the circumstances that led to the recent hike in power tariff was voiced by all Opposition parties, including the ruling TDP’s ally BJP.

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Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, whose reply to an acrimonious debate on the issue was interrupted by the slogan-shouting Opposition members for the third consecutive day, promptly agreed to the idea, but rejected the opposition demand for suspending the tariff hike, pending submission of the House Committee’s report.

Pandemonium prevailed in the house with Congress and MIM members storming the well and raising slogans demanding rollback of the hike, even as Treasury benches accused them of deliberately obstructing the proceedings.

Sixty-five Congress members, four MIM, two CPI (M) and the lone CPI (ML-New Democracy) member were suspended from the House for creating unruly scenes.

D Nagender (Congress) was suspended for six days for tearing off papers near the Speaker’s podium. The other Congress and Left parties members were suspended for three days, while MIM legislators were suspended for the day.