VIJAYAWADA: Eight Telugu Desam MLCs have been suspended from State Legislative Council for unruly behaviour after they protested displaying mangalasutras in the house on Friday.
Soon after the council commenced its last sitting of budget session, chairman Koyye Moshenu Raju started the question hour. After education minister Adimulapu Suresh answered the first question, TD MLCs holding placards trooped into the well of the house and started raising slogans displaying mangalasutras. They demanded a discussion on prohibition of liquor and deaths of 24 persons after consuming illicitly distilled liquor in West Godavari.
Even as TD MLCs were protesting, YSR Congress MLC P. Suneetha rushed to well of the house and snatched the mangalasutra and placard from hands of TD legislator Batchula Arjunudu. Another YSR Congress MLC V. Kalyani and independent legislator T. Kalpalatha also rushed to the well protesting against displaying of mangalasutras. The woman MLCs contended that this undermines respect towards women.
When Arjunudu entered into an argument with Suneetha, TD MLC Nara Lokesh advised him not to argue with any of the women legislators.
TD members maintained that they are displaying mangalasutras only to express their sympathy towards women whose husbands died after consuming the illicit liquor in West Godavari.
After the council plunged into turmoil, Moshenu Raju adjourned the house for five minutes to restore normalcy. But even after that heated arguments between ruling YSR Congress and opposition members continued.
Subsequently, panchayat raj minister Peddyreddy Ramachandra Reddy moved a resolution seeking suspension of the eight TD MLCs for unruly behaviour. The resolution was adopted by the house and marshals took the legislators away.
TD MLC Lokesh was seen shouting at the chairman for not allowing a discussion on prohibition of liquor and hooch deaths, despite their protests for last nine days. Lokesh announced that their party is boycotting the session and moved out saying he will not come back to the house again.
The suspended MLCs are Mantena Satyanarayana Raju, Batchula Arjunudu, P. Ashok Babu, Deepak Reddy, K.E. Prabhakar, B.N. Raja Narasimhulu, D. Rama Rao and B. Tirumala Naidu.
During last three days too, TD MLCs got suspended each day for playing castanets, blowing whistles, tearing papers, and throwing them towards the council chairman.
