The opposition TDP MLAs and the MLCs held a protest on the first day of the winter session of AP Assembly on Thursday. The MLAs and the MLCs went to the Assembly in a rally raising slogans against chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy for not releasing the job calendar.

The members held protests in both the Houses asking for discussion and served adjournment motion. The TDP members continued to disrupt the proceedings in both the Assembly and the Council insisting on discussion on the employment creation and the unemployment problem in the state in the last three years.

In the Assembly, when the House took up discussion on decentralisation of administration, the TDP members N Rama Naidu, Payyavula Keshav and Gorantla Butchaiah Chowdary protested against the government’s decision of three capitals. They blamed the government for destroying Amaravati, which was well planned by the TDP government.

When Minister Buggana Rajendranath alleged that the TDP leaders had purchased lands in Amaravati villages even before it was declared as capital, the TDP MLAs intensified their protest in the House, demanding that the minister prove his allegations.

Payyavula Keshav threw a challenge to the Minister in the House to prove that he had purchased the lands in Amaravati before it was declared as the capital. He said that he also purchased some lands in Amaravati only after it was declared as the capital and claimed that it was nothing wrong or illegal.

The TDP leaders also demanded that Speaker Thammineni Sitaram give them time to explain their views and also to reply to the allegations made by the Ministers and other MLAs of the ruling party. As the speaker denied permission, the TDP members walked into the well of the House and raised slogans against the government.

At this point, Minister for Legislative Affairs, Buggana Rajendranath, moved a resolution seeking suspension of the TDP MLAs from the House for the rest of the day. Accordingly, the speaker announced the suspension after introducing the motion and getting it passed by the members.

Five legislators of opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) were suspended from Andhra Pradesh Assembly on Monday for the rest of the Budget session for disrupting the proceedings over the Jangareddygudem hooch tragedy.

Speaker Tammineni Seetharam announced suspension of the TDP members after Finance Minister Buggana Rajendranath moved a resolution.

The TDP legislators had rushed near the Speaker’s podium and threw pieces of papers towards the chair while demanding the government to discuss the deaths caused by illicitly distilled liquor in Jangareddygudem town.

Alleging that 25 persons died after consuming cheap liquor, TDP demanded a statement from the government and debate on the issue.

The pandemonium led to the Speaker adjourning the House twice. When the House re-assembled, the opposition legislators continued their protest disrupting debate on the budget. The finance minister then moved a resolution for suspending the opposition members.

TDP deputy leader Atchan Naidu, Butchaiah Chowdary, P. Keshav, Ramanaidu and Veeranjaneya Swamy have been suspended for the rest of the session.

Later, speaking in the Assembly, Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy slammed TDP for doing politics over natural deaths. He said the opposition party is running a false propaganda.

The Chief Minister said that deaths caused by illicit liquor happened many times in the past. He claimed that his government is dealing firmly with illicit liquor trade and it has already shut many belt shops (the extension of licensed liquor shops).

Reddy said the previous government indiscriminately allowed liquor shops for the sake of revenues, adding that shops were even opened near schools and temples.

Stating that controlling illicit liquor trade is the policy of the state government, he said ever since YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) came to power, 43,000 belt shops have been shut down.

Meanwhile, TDP General Secretary and member of Legislative Council, Nara Lokesh, demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Reddy, owning moral responsibility for the death of 25 persons in the Jangareddygudem hooch tragedy.

He dismissed the allegation by YSRCP that TDP is doing politics over dead bodies, and alleged that Jagan Mohan Reddy is the ‘brand ambassador’ of doing politics over dead bodies.

He slammed the CM and his party MLAs for trying to describe the illicit liquor deaths as natural deaths, just like how they tried to make Jagan Reddy’s uncle Vivekananda Reddy’s ‘murder’ look like a fatal heart attack.

Lokesh said the ‘guilty’ YSRCP members were unwilling to come for a full fledged debate on the Jangareddygudem hooch deaths in the House.

The TDP members stuck to their demand for debate for over four hours, but the ruling party was very adamant, he said.

Apparently, the YSRCP government was running away from a meaningful discussion, Lokesh said.

Lokesh also vowed that his party would continue its agitation till the victims’ families get justice. The TDP is demanding that the government pay Rs 25 lakh ex-gratia to each family. A judicial or CBI investigation should be ordered to bring out the facts in the midst of the state government’s cover up bid, he said.

Lokesh said that during Chandrababu Naidu’s regime, the excise revenue target was just Rs 6,500 crore. Now, Jagan Reddy is targeting an abnormal revenue of Rs 22,000 crore from liquor sales, he said.

Jagan Reddy’s liquor policy is responsible for the human tragedy in Jangareddygudem, he said.

The Budget session of Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly is expected to commence from March 7. However, there is no clarity whether main opposition TDP will attend the Assembly budget session.

It may be recalled that TDP president, former CM and Leader of Opposition in Assembly, N Chandrababu Naidu walked out of the Legislative Assembly in tears on November 19, 2021 and vowed to return to Assembly only after becoming CM.

Naidu took this extreme decision alleging that ruling YSRCP ministers and MLAs made derogatory comments on his wife Bhuvaneshwari in Assembly and the Speaker Tammineni Sitharaman remained a mute spectator to this heinous act and also did not give him mike to condemn this atrocious behaviour of ruling YSRCP MLAS.

The TDP boycotted the entire winter session of Assembly later.

Speculations are rife in TDP circles that TDP MLAs have also decided to boycott Budget session in support of Chandrababu.

But Naidu reportedly told them to attend the session to raise public issues in the Assembly.

Former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu was among the 14 TDP MLAs who were suspended for a day from the AP Legislative Assembly on Monday.

The suspensions came after the TDP MLAs led by Mr. Naidu staged a sit-in in front of the Speaker’s podium in protest against the highhanded behaviour of the ruling YCP Government. The TDP was angry over its members not being given any chance to speak on the contentious issue of cyclone relief to the farmers and the affected people.

The TDP members were also agitated that Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy was making unparliamentary remarks against the Leader of the Opposition in the House.

The remaining 13 suspended TDP MLAs were K. Atchannaiudu, Payyavula Keshav, Gorantla Butchaiah Chowdary, Nimmala Rama Naidu, Adireddy Bhavani, Velagapudi Ramakrishna, Dola Bala Veeranjaneya Swamy, Mantena Rama Raju, Yeluri Sambasiva Rao, Gadde Rammohan, Jogeswara Rao, Anagani Satya Prasad and Bendalam Ashok.

The Speaker made repeated appeals to the TDP members who remained seated in the podium for a long time demanding enough for them to speak on the cyclone damage. They deplored that while the ruling YCP members were given lot of time time present their views, the Opposition members were being totally discouraged.

In view of heavy cyclone damage, the TDP was demanding the Government to give compensation immediately to help the farmers take up the rabi crops. The Opposition party was also demanding Rs. 10,000 cyclone relief assistance to each poor family who lost their livelihoods.

The farmers were not getting the micro irrigation subsidy. Input subsidy and disaster compensation were not being paid. CM Jagan Reddy turned out to be a ‘betrayer of farmers’.

The TDP tried to raise the issue of its MLAs suspensions in the Assembly but its pleas were not allowed. Opposition leader N Chandrababu Naidu registered his protest and walked out of the House along with his party MLAs. Later, along with the suspended MLAs, the TDP leaders staged dharna in front of the Assembly. They raised slogans against the dictatorial attitude of the Jagan Reddy government.

The TDP announced that it is boycotting the day’s session in the Assembly in protest against the ruling YCP not allowing its members to raise and debate on issues like unwarranted suspensions, unfulfilled promises and so on.

The YCP is unwilling to allow TDP MLAs to prolong the debate on the welfare pensions for SC, ST, BC and Minority women aged above 45 years. The TDP is sticking to its demand that CM Jagan should honour and fulfil his election promises instead of indulging in fake propaganda about passing bills on jobs, nominated posts and works. TDP MLAs suspensions too became a subject of serious clash between the ruling and opposition parties.