Hyderabad, February 24: A dozen members of the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Communist Party of India (CPI) were suspended from the Assembly on Wednesday for disrupting the presentation of budget by Finance Minister Anam Ramanarayana Reddy.
The Treasury Benches was put to some embarrassment when party legislators loyal to former MP Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy walked out mid-way during the budget speech protesting delay in reimbursing the tuition fees. The TDP MLAs from Telangana region stayed away from the House. They staged dharnas separately at Gandhi Statue, Gun Park and Ravindra Bharati junction.
No sooner did the Finance Minister begin presenting his maiden budget speech, TRS MLAs — Odelu, Vinay Bhaskar, G. Arvind Reddy, Kopula Eashwar — rushed towards him but were stopped by the marshals who were already in place to prevent any untoward happenings like the ones that marred the Governor’s speech on the opening day of the session.
Ministers — Danam Nagender, M. Mukesh Goud and S. Sailajanath and Chief Whip Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka formed a shield around the Finance Minister. As the TRS members refused to resume their seats, Deputy Speaker Nadendla Manohar asked Housing Minister Kanna Lakshminarayana to move a motion to suspend the erring members. Seven TRS legislators including the floor leader Etala Rajender were evicted from the House.
More protests were in store as CPI members — D. Chandravati, Sambasiva Rao and Yadagiri Rao and Y.Laxminaryana (BJP) — rushed to the podium demanding tabling of a resolution on Telangana. At one stage, Mr. Laxminarayana rushed towards the Finance Minister but he was bodily lifted and taken away by the marshals.
-Agencies