The former chief minister of Andhra Pradesh Nara Chandrababu Naidu and 12 TDP MLAs were suspended from the state assembly for a day on Tuesday, on the charges of unruly conduct in the house.
Pandemonium prevailed in the house earlier, during the debate on agriculture and flood relief to the farmers. Monday was the first day of the state legislature's winter session, at Amaravati.
Opposition leader Naidu alleged that he was not being allowed to speak and was ridiculed by the YSRCP members.
A visibly furious Naidu rushed towards the well and sat in protest, with his party colleagues joining, in front of the speaker's podium. He accused CM Jaganmohan Reddy of suppressing the opposition voice.
“I was forced to approach the speaker's podium. In my long legislative career, this is the first time I am suspended from the house. Why am I not given the mike? Do we have to face such ignominy every day?” Naidu questioned while addressing the media later.
The ex-CM accused that the Reddy government is casual about providing relief to the flood-affected ryots.
“I am striving for the public and putting up with this daily humiliation for their sake. By suspending me they have boycotted the farmers, their welfare,” Naidu said.
The ruling YSRCP stated the leader of the opposition's conduct in the state assembly as unacceptable, “especially from someone claiming to be the most experienced politician in the country.”
CM Reddy stated his predecessor's behavior as unbecoming of a leader of the opposition. “I never disrespected the house in such a manner, when I was the opposition leader,’ the Chief Minister said.
“Naidu rushed to the podium and staged a sit-in. During the discussion on agriculture as well, his body language has been highly objectionable and threatening in manner,” a YSRCP legislator said.
House ethics committee chairman and YSRCP MLA Ambati Rambabu said that such conduct by a person with 40 years of experience in public life is highly objectionable.