The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Suspension pre-meditated, says Naidu

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 23, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Suspension pre-meditated, says Naidu

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD, FEB. 22. Telugu Desam MLAs led by the party president, N. Chandrababu Naidu, staged an hour-long dharna in front of the statue of Mahatma Gandhi on the Assembly premises immediately after their suspension from the House.

The dharna was followed by a meeting of the Telugu Desam Legislature Party under the presidentship of Mr. Naidu. Even as the MLAs chalked out an eight-day tour programme of the districts to sensitise people to the alleged injustice done to them, news came that the Speaker, K. R. Suresh Reddy, had revoked the suspension against all except the party's deputy leader, N. Janardhan Reddy.

The TDLP reversed its stand and decided to attend the House from Wednesday after calling off the tour.

The provocation

Mr. Naidu said the suspension was pre-meditated. He also said the TDP had cooperated with the Government ever since the budget session of the Assembly began a week ago to ensure that parliamentary conventions were upheld. But, the delay in taking up a discussion on the killing of the party MLA, Paritala Ravi, tested their patience.

He said the suspension was "immoral" as it was slapped without following the procedure of seeking an explanation from Dr. Janardhan Reddy and consulting the floor leaders.

The Chief Minister's reply was "one-sided'' in the absence of the main Opposition which was ethically bad.

Mr. Naidu said the suspension of Mr. Janardhan Reddy was uncalled for as there were occasions when the Chief Minister, Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, and Finance and Legislative Affairs Minister, K. Rosaiah, had used more unparliamentary words in the past.

And moreover, why ten days of suspension, he wondered.

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