TDP lawmakers suspended, Balakrishna warned for twirling mustache in AP Assembly

AMARAVATI: The Andhra Pradesh Assembly witnessed unruly scenes on the first day of its monsoon session on Thursday, with the Telugu Desam MLAs occupying Speaker Tammineni Seetharam’s podium holding placards and throwing pieces of paper at the Speaker.

The Hindupur MLA Nandamuri Balakrishna created a flutter when he twirled his mustache while he was standing on the podium. At this juncture, Irrigation Minister Ambati Rambabu intervened and asked the MLA to behave. Both the lawmakers then entered into a verbal duel, forcing the Speaker to initiate action.

The Speaker, while suspending three TDP MLAs, Kotamreddy Sridhar Reddy, Anagani Sathya Prasad, and Payyavula Kesav, suspended the remaining MLAs for a day. The Speaker also warned Balakrishna for his ‘unparliamentary’ behaviour on the floor of the house and said that he would pardon him, considering the whole mustache issue as a first offense.

The Speaker also said that the Assembly disciplinary committee would look into and recover the damages committed by the TDP members to the property of the Assembly.b Following the suspension, TDP continued to protest in front of the Speaker's chambers and boycotted the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting.

Earlier, the TDP served an adjournment motion protesting the arrest of the TDP president Nara Chandrababu Naidu and demanded a discussion. However, the Minister for Legislative Affairs and Finance Minister Buggana Rajendranath Reddy said that the Government would take up detailed discussion on the subject provided the TDP MLAs stop the ruckus and seek discussion in a different form.

Assembly session till September 27

The BAC which met after the adjournment of the house, decided to run the session for five days. The house would take up discussion on the skill development scam on Friday.