Telangana assembly adjourned over farmers' suicide protests

Hyderabad, Oct 1: Telangana assembly was adjourned till Monday as the opposition stalled the proceedings on Thursday to seek clarifications from the government on the issue of farmers' suicides.

The adjournment within 15 minutes angered the opposition Congress, TDP, BJP and the Left parties, whose legislators staged a sit-in on the road in front of the assembly. The policemen bodily lifted the lawmakers into the vehicles and removed them.

As soon as the House met for the day, Congress and other opposition parties raised the issue of farmers' suicides and wanted to know what steps the government propose to take immediately to check the suicides.

Speaker Madhusudhana Chary said there was detailed debated on the issue for two days and the government has also given the reply. He tried to go ahead with the question hour but the Congress legislators disrupted the proceedings.

Raising slogans, they demanded that the government make a clear-cut announcement on waiver of farm loans. Amid pandemonium, the speaker adjourned the House till Monday.

Angry over the adjournment, the opposition lawmakers together launched a sit-in on the road in front the assembly, leading to traffic jam. They alleged that government ran away from debate on the most important issue.

The opposition legislators were forcibly evicted from the assembly on Wednesday night when they remained seated in the House even after it was adjourned.

They alleged that the government did not give a satisfactory reply and Deputy Speaker Padma Devender Reddy, who was in the chair, abruptly adjourned the House.

In the legislative council, the question hour was taken up after the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government gave the assurance that Agriculture Minister P. Srinivas Rao will reply to the debate on farmers' suicides.

IANS