68 Cong. MLAs suspended from Assembly

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, MARCH 22. A total of 68 Congress members of the Assembly were suspended for a day today for continuing to disrupt proceedings, seeking to revive a discussion on the `liquor scandal' they raised yesterday, and marshals were summoned to evict some of them from the House. Congress members later told reporters that they would take the issue to the people, and would not raise it in the House tomorrow.

The Leader of the Opposition, Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, told reporters that it was ``ridiculous'' for Ministers to accuse the Congress of speaking to favour the McDowell liquor company. Tomorrow, a delegation of senior Congress leaders, headed by Mr. V. Purushotham Reddy, is to call on the Speaker to ensure that Congress is given a fair opportunity in debates, and to avoid members going to the well of the House. The Minister, Mr. P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju, told reporters that the Congress had a ``lion's share'' of the 154 hours the Assembly sat in the budget session so far.

The Speaker, Ms. Pratibha Bharathi, summoned marshals to clear the House of the suspended members as they staged a sit- in in the well of the House.

The motion for suspension was moved by the Minister for Legislative Affairs, Mr. Y. Ramakrushnudu, and it was carried by the House. The lone Congress-I member, Mr. D. Nagender, who walked into the House, pushing aside the Chief Marshal, was also asked to leave. But, he protested saying he was not in the House earlier and, hence, his suspension was unjust.

Mr. Ramakrushnudu refuted the member's claim, and said that he walked out even before his name was read out and returned to the House, pleading innocence. The Speaker then asked Mr. Nagender to leave the House.

Mr. Asaduddin Owaisi of the MIM, Mr. N. Narsimhaiah of the CPI (M) and Mr. Gummadi Narsaiah of the CPI (ML) protested against the suspension saying the Opposition should have been given a chance to explain its position as serious allegations were levelled against the main opposition leader. The CPI (M) later walked out.

The following are the suspended members: G.Aruna Kumari, M. Buddha Prasad, S. Chandrasekhar, R. Chenga Reddy, Dr. G. Chinna Reddy, N. Divakar Rao, J.C. Diwakar Reddy, Fareeduddin, D. Gopal, B. Goverdhan, Gurunath Reddy, M. Hanumantha Rao, P. Sabitha, A. Indrakaran Reddy, P. Jagan Mohan Rao, Jaleel Khan, N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, P. Kista Reddy, J. Krishna Murthy, J. Krishna Rao, G. Kuthuhalamma, K. Lakshminarayana, P. Laxmaiah, M. Mareppa, Dr. M.V. Mysoora Reddy, D. Nagender, B. Narayana Reddy, K. Peddakonda Reddy, S. Pitchi Reddy, K. Prabhakar Reddy, D. Prasada Rao, U. Purushottam Reddy, N. Raghuveera Reddy, D. Raghya Naik, N. Rajalingam, Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, N. Rajyalakshmi, Ch. Ramakrishna Reddy, J. Ram Mohan Rao, G.S. Rao,

J. Rathnakar Rao, D.S. Redya Naik, P. Sambasiva Raju, T. Sanyasi Appala Naidu, B. Satya Rao, Y.G. Sivarama Reddy, M. Sivunnaidu, D. Srinivas, R. Srinivasu, Sudershan Reddy, V. Suneetha Reddy, K. Surekha, K.R. Suresh Reddy, Dr. M. Thippeswamy, V. Varada Rama Rao, K. Venkat Reddy, M. Venkata Ramana Rao, G. Venkata Reddy, R. Venkata Reddy, B. Venkteshwar, P. Venkateswara Rao, V. Venkateswara Rao, P. Venugopal Reddy, S. Vijayarama Raju, A. Vittal Reddy, A. Vivekananda Reddy and Younis Sultan.

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