18 Andhra LS MPs suspended for displaying disgraceful behaviour during passage of Telangana Bill

Kumar announced the decision soon after the House met at 2 pm after being adjourned in the wake of the ruckus created at noon by pepper spraying and fisticuffs among members opposing and supporting Telangana.

She named the members and said they had been suspended under Rule 374 A which says that a member can "be suspended from the service of the House for a period not exceeding the remainder of the session" for disregarding "the authority of the Chair or abusing the rules of the House by persistently and willfully obstructing business".

"They may forthwith withdraw from the precincts of the House," Kumar said. Those suspended include L Rajagopal, expelled Congress member who had earlier sprayed pepper gas from a canister in the House, causing chaos. TDP member M Venugopala Reddy, who broke the mike, was also among the MPs suspended.

Others suspended are Sabbam Hari, Anantha Venkatarami Reddy, Rayapati Sambasiva Rao, SPY Reddy, M Sreenivasulu Reddy, V Aruna Kumar, A Sai Prathap, Suresh Kumar Shetkar, KRG Reddy, Bapi Raju Kanumuri and G Sukhender Reddy (all Cong), Niramalli Sivaprasad, Nimmala Kristappa, K Narayana Rao (all TDP), and YS Jaganmohan Reddy and M Rajamohan Reddy (both YSR Cong).

(Agencies)

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Andhra Pradesh Assembly passes Bill amid disruptions over state division

The TRS members went into the Well of House and raised slogans in support of separate Telangana as soon as the day began.

   

After his appeals went unheeded, Speaker N Manohar adjourned the House for an hour. However, it was the same scene after the House re-assembled.

   

A number of ruling Congress members from Telangana region also trooped in the Well of the House.

As the slogan shouting continued, Finance Minister Anam Ramanarayana Reddy read out the agenda and 'The Andhra Pradesh Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (Amendment) Bill, 2013' was passed.

   

Other items in the agenda like granting demands for vote on account 2014-15 and supplementary estimates 2013-14 were also done.

(Agencies)

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The official machinery in Seemandhra, as the two regions are together called, came to a halt as the government offices remained closed.

Andhra Pradesh Non-Gazetted Officers' (APNGOs) Association has claimed that over 400,000 employees are participating in the strike in 13 districts.

They are demanding that the central government should not table in parliament the bill for formation of separate Telangana state as the same was rejected in both the houses of the state legislature.

Agitating employees took to streets in some parts of Seemandhra. APNGOs staged a sit-in in temple town of Tirupati and formed a human chain to protest the centre's attempts to table the bill in parliament.

The employees and over 200,000 teachers had gone on strike for nearly two months last year to protest the centre's decision to bifurcate the state.

APNGOs President Ashok Babu said the employees would stage sit-in at the residences of central ministers and MPs and at the government offices Feb 7 and 8.

The employees' body has also called for three-day shutdown in Seemandhra on February 10, 11 and 12.

It has also called for 'chalo Delhi' on February 17, 18 and 19 to mount pressure on the Central Government not to table the bill.

(Agencies)

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