Hyderabad, Mar 14 (Deccan Chronicle): Two Congress MLAs Komatireddy Venkat Reddy and S.A.Sampath Kumar were expelled from the Telangana Legislative Assembly while 11 other Congress MLAs were suspended for the entire Budget Session on Tuesday for violent incidents witnessed in the House during the Governor’s address, during the joint sitting of the Legislature on Monday.
The Speaker’s decision shocked not only the Congress but also other parties, as it was for the first time in Telangana or even in undivided AP, the members were expelled from the House.
While Mr Komatireddy is a senior MLA representing Nalgonda Asse-mbly constituency for the fourth time in a row since 1999, Mr Sampath Kumar was elected from Alampur constituency in Mahbubnagar district for the first time in 2014.
Besides this, six Congress MLCs were also suspended for the entire Budget Session of the Legislative Council.
Speaker S. Madhusu-dhana Chary’s decision to this effect has come after Legislative Council Chairman K. Swamy Go-ud suffered an eye injury when Mr Komatireddy and Mr Sampath Kumar threw headphones at him while protesting against the Governor’s speech.
Soon after the House commenced operations, legislative affairs minister T. Harish Rao moved a resolution to this effect which the House passed with a voice vote.
MIM supported the disciplinary action against the Congress MLAs but wanted the Speaker to reconsider the suspension of Leader of Opposition K. Jana Reddy who had no role in the ruck-us. MIM floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi said that there is a limit to lodge protest in the Ho-use. “Congress MLAs have crossed all the limits and deserved stringent action. Congress has become a frustrated party with continuous defeats in all polls across the country due to which they are resorting to such acts,” he said.
BJP too supported this but asked the TRS to explain why their MPs in Parliament were creating ruckus everyday by storming into the podium. BJP floor leader G. Kishan Reddy asked, “We welcome stringent action against the members for violent incide-nts. But the government should have discussed the issue with all parties before initiating such an action. Why Jana Reddy was suspended when he was sitting quietly? "
The Speaker described the behaviour of the MLAs during the Governor’s speech as ‘heinous’
The Speaker cited Article 194(3) of the Constitution by saying that the House has the power to expel, suspend MLAs, who violate the norms.