Two YSR Congress MLAs Suspended From AP Assembly

After a prolonged ruckus in the House over the sensational "call money sex racket", pertaining to the harassment and exploitation of borrowers by private money lenders after providing loan on call, on the first day of the winter session of the Andhra Pradesh Assembly, the House was adjourned to Friday without taking up any business.

Soon after the House met this morning, the Opposition YSR Congress Party menacingly insisted on taking up a discussion on the racket, and did not allow any other business.

The Speaker Kodela Sivaprasada Rao rejected the adjournment motion tabled by YSR Congress for a debate on the issue and sought to take up scheduled debate. The YSRCP members, however, stood in the well of the House and raised slogans against the TDP government. As the din continued, the Speaker adjourned the House twice but the situation remained unchanged.

When the House met after the two adjournments, the exasperated Speaker suspended YSRCP MLAs Sivaprasad Reddy and Ramalingeshwar Rao alias Raja for two days for obstructing the camera view.

Legislative Affairs Minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu, who moved a motion for suspension of the two unruly members, said that obstructing the cameras in the House was totally against the democratic principles of letting the people know the proceedings of the Legislature.

Responding to the Opposition's demand for a discussion, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu said that the government would reveal all the details pertaining to the racket, and assured that all those involved would be brought to book.

"No matter how powerful they are and which party they belong to, they will not be spared," he said.

Naidu said that he would make a detailed statement on Friday on the issue, and sought to speak on the Constitution and the contribution of B R Ambedkar to its making, but the Opposition would not allow it. Ramakrishnudu then attacked the Leader of the Opposition and YSRCP president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy for not letting the House debate on the noble issue.

Naidu, too, said that the behaviour of the YSR Congress in the House was bringing shame to civilized society. He urged the Speaker to bring order so that the House could take up a special debate on Ambedkar.

The TDP leaders went on to allege that the YSR Congress had insulted Ambedkar by stalling a debate on the late leader. There was an uproar in the House as the Treasury and the Opposition benches then traded allegations. Jaganmohan Reddy displayed the photographs of Naidu with one of the accused in the case, and alleged that the scandal had the full patronage of the Chief Minister.