11 TDP MLAs suspended from Andhra Pradesh Assembly

Amaravati, March 15: The Jangareddygudem hooch tragedy rocked Andhra Pradesh Assembly for second day in a row on Tuesday as 11 members of the opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) were suspended from House for one day for disrupting proceedings.

Demanding a debate on the death of 25 people allegedly due to consumption of illicitly distilled liquor in Jangareddygudem town during the last few days, the TDP members trooped into the well of the House.

Speaker Tammineni Seetharam rejected the demand and appealed to the members to resume their seats and cooperate in running the House in a smooth manner. As the opposition members continued raising slogans to demand the debate, Finance Minister Bugganna Rajendranath moved a resolution for suspending them from the House for one day.

The Speaker announced passing of the resolution by a voice vote and asked the members to leave the House. As they remained in the House, marshals were called to bodily lift them out.

This is the second day in a row that the TDP members were suspended. On Monday, five members were suspended for the entire Budget session.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy hit out at the TDP for what he called deliberately created ruckus in the Assembly for second consecutive day over Jangareddygudem issue though the government has already given clarification. He told the TDP members to behave in a civilised manner.

The Chief Minister said that TDP leaders should apply basic logic and wondered how someone can brew illicit liquor in Jangareddygudem, which has a population of 55,000 and where the entire government machinery has its full presence. Preparing illicit liquor may be possible in remote places and it's not easy to prepare in a municipality like Jangareddygudem, he said.

He said the government set up the Special Enforcement Bureau (SEB) and registered 13,000 cases which shows the government's sincerity in curbing illicit liquor.

Expressing shock over the remarks of Leader of Opposition Chandrababu Naidu on Jangareddygudem issue, the Chief Minister said Naidu has been making contradictory statements. He said Naidu had claimed that the state government has taken Rs 25,000 crore loan through Beverages Corporation and also preparing ground for another Rs 25,000 crore loan and in the same breath, was telling that government has been encouraging hooch, unmindful of the fact that State revenues will fall with illicit liquor.

The Chief Minister flayed a section of media for distorting his statement on natural deaths in the municipality and said the records made it clear that the death rate is two per cent across the country and considering the population of Jangareddygudem as 55,000, there would be 1,000 deaths per year which means 90 deaths per month.

He said the deaths didn't occur at a single place and happened over a period of one week at multiple locations and their funeral was also completed without any problem and reminded that it was the government that took initiative and ordered for postmortem which shows our sincerity.

He blamed Naidu and a section of media of deliberately spreading false information against the state government for their vested interests. He said the government would welcome and note the suggestions of opposition through appropriate forums and it's up to their wish if they want to get suspended with inappropriate behavior.

The statement came in wake of the incorporation of new business rules of the Legislative Assembly which says that members who enter the well of the House be automatically suspended.