HYDERABAD: Telugu Desam members walked out of the Assembly on Tuesday shortly before Zero Hour, led by their leader N. Chandrababu Naidu, resenting the "discrimination demonstrated" against Mr. Naidu by the Speaker who denied the mike to him.

After a 90-minute debate on how the proceedings of the House were disrupted on issues of lesser importance, the TDP members marched out of the House.

Dr. Reddy's appeal to the Speaker to adjourn the House whenever the Opposition paralyses the proceedings summed up the mood of members in the Assembly on Tuesday. The business was marked by demands by the CPI (M) and the TRS members seeking discussion on their adjournment notices on problems of village servants and denial of hall tickets to Intermediate students.

House adjourned

The House was adjourned for 15 minutes after the CPI (M) members squatted in the well of the House raising slogans.

On resumption, the Speaker regretted members' behaviour prompting the TDLP Deputy leader T. Devender Goud to charge the ruling party with denying the Opposition a chance to raise issues.

The Chief Ministeraccused the Opposition of holding the House to ransom by raising issues not listed in the agenda. "I request the Chair to adjourn the House whenever there is disturbance and invite floor leaders for discussion," he added.

Mr. Naidu countered this: "Why should the House be adjourned to discuss problems with the floor leaders?" Instead, the same could be discussed in the House so that the people would know the conduct of their elected representatives, he pointed out.

The TDLP later charged the Speaker with curbing the voice of the Opposition and said it would not attend Business Advisory Committee and other meetings called by him, as a mark of protest.

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