Andhra Pradesh state legislative assembly speaker Tammineni Sitaram on Tuesday introduced a new and stringent rule for automatic suspension of the opposition party MLAs who cross their limits in protesting on any issue.
He got the assembly staff draw three lines in three colours – white, green and red – around the Speaker’s podium to restrict the protesting MLAs. If they have to register their protest, they could do so only behind the white line.
If they cross the green line, the Speaker can warn them of strict action if they did not go back to their seats.
And if they cross the red line and rush towards podium, they would get automatically suspended from the House without even the Speaker’s orders, Tammineni ruled.
“There is no need for the government to move a motion seeking the suspension of the unruly MLAs and the Speaker to act on the motion. The moment they cross the red line, they are deemed to have been suspended,” Tammineni announced, while giving the ruling.
The decision was taken in the wake of the latest protests by the TDP members demanding a discussion on the alleged hooch deaths in Jangareddygudem.
Five TDP members were suspended for the rest of the budget session on Monday for storming the Speaker’s podium.
On Tuesday, too, the TDP members continued to raise protests demanding that the House take up discussion on the Jangareddygudem deaths.
The Speaker said there would be no discussion, as he had already rejected their adjournment motion in this regard.
Jagan, too, clarified again against that the deaths in Jangareddygudem were not related to hooch supply but were natural deaths; and that the TDP members were only politicising the issue.
