26 TDP members suspended from Assembly

Hyderabad, Mar 8 (UNI) Opposition leader N Chandrababu Naidu and 25 other members of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) were today suspended for two days for stalling the proceedings of Andhra Pradesh Assembly on the basis of newspaper reports that Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy's relative and Kadapa Municipal Corporation Mayor Ravindra Reddy had allegedly purchased land from the 'poor' forcibly.

The trouble began as soon as the House assembed with the TDP members waving a copy of a Telugu daily and pressing for an immediate discussion on the issue after Speaker K R Suresh Reddy disallowed their adjournment motion notice on the issue.

With no signs of restoration of normalcy, the Speaker initially adjourned the House for over 15 minutes.

When the House reassembled, TDP members rushed to the well and raised slogans against the state Government.

As repeated appeals to members to resume their seats fell on deaf ears, the Speaker named them following which Legislative Affairs Minister K Rosaiah moved the motion for their suspension.

The Speaker summoned the marshalls who bodily lifted the TDP members even as they were staging a sit-in protest against the reported acquisition of 140 acres of lands from the poor allegedly by force and at a throwaway price by the Chief Minister's brother-in-law in Denduluru in West Godavari district.

Later, agitated TDP members staged a dharna in front of the Speaker's chambers in protest against their suspension.

Instead of replying to the charges, the ''undemocratic' Congress Government was throttling the voice of the Opposition, Mr Naidu alleged.

UNI