TDP men stage roof-top protest, MLAs suspended from AP Assembly

AMARAVATI: Members of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) were on Tuesday suspended from the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly for obstructing the proceedings in the House. Speaker Thammineni Sitharam ordered their suspension after the members of the opposition party stormed into the well of the House and created pandemonium near the Speaker's podium.

The TDP legislators were suspended for a day, thus barring them from taking part in the proceedings on Tuesday. In fact, the opposition party members have faced suspensions on all the days so far since the beginning of the monsoon session.

Minister for Health and Medical Education Vidadala Rajani criticised the TDP members for their attempts to politicise the death of a tribal girl. Asserting that the State Government had taken all measures needed to keep the cases of viral fevers under check, she advised the opposition members to stop blaming the government for everything.

Earlier, a contingent of TDP leaders caused flutters when they perched on top of a building near the Assembly and shouted slogans against the YS Jaganmohan Reddy government and its policies. Taken by surprise, the police quickly took them into preventive detention and brought them down safely. The TDP leaders and activists, during this protest, demanded immediate release of funds for the SC and SC sub-plan.

A dharna was also staged outside the Thullur Police Station by the TDP legislators earlier in the day. MLC Nara Lokesh and MLA Atchen Naidu led the protest. Meanwhile, the police authorities have beefed up security in and around the Assembly premises in view of the TDP's 'Chalo Assembly' programme.

On Monday, the TDP legislators tried to proceed towards the Assembly in bullock carts. When it was foiled by the police, they attempted to pull the carts on their shoulders.