Hyderabad: Ten TDP legislators were suspended from Telangana Assembly on Thursday for a week after they raised a protest seeking an opportunity to take part in budget discussion even as ruling TRS members demanded that TDP MLA A Revanth Reddy tender an apology to the House.
The main opposition Congress and BJP found fault with the government over the suspension of TDP members and wanted the suspension revoked immediately.
The suspended TDP MLAs, led by their Legislature Party leader Errabilli Dayakar Rao, later staged a dharna in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue on the Assembly premises, protesting their suspension from the House.
Subsequently, they were taken into custody and shifted to Goshamahal stadium. The House, meanwhile, continued the general discussion on the budget.
Earlier, TDP's senior member Revanth sought to continue the discussion on the budget and rose to speak on behalf of his party. The ruling TRS members prevented him and demanded that Revanth first tender an apology for alleging that Nizamabad MP K Kavitha enrolled her details at two places during the Comprehensive Household Survey.
The TRS members raised slogans and TDP MLAs countered it. Amid the din, the Speaker adjourned the House for 10 minutes and called a meeting of floor leaders to end the stalemate.
When the House reassembled, Revanth sought to continue the budget discussion but the ruling party MLAs blocked him. The TDP legislators then raised a protest and wanted their member to be allowed to speak.
The TRS members insisted on an apology from Revanth and said the TDP did not utilise the opportunity given to it for speaking on the budget.
Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao noted that it was common that "words slip" during heated discussions. "Even the likes of Indira Gandhi apologised if they spoke anything wrong. Revanth certainly owed an apology as he tried to mislead the House even during the debate on the power situation," the Chief Minister said.
This led to slogan shouting between the TDP and TRS members.
Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao then sought suspension of the ten TDP MLAs and moved a motion that was carried.
