Date:15/09/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/15/stories/2008091553740400.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Speaker not to attend session

Decision not to attend for the sake of upholding the highest traditions of the House
Speaker to take decision on disqualification of rebel TRS MLAs soon

HYDERABAD: Speaker K. R. Suresh Reddy will not be going to the Assembly on Monday, when the House takes up the no confidence motion moved against him by the Telugu Desam Party and the Telangana Rashtra Samiti.

“I do not want to hang around in the vicinity of the House when a motion of no confidence is under discussion. I will prefer to keep away,” Mr. Suresh Reddy remarked.

The Deputy Speaker presides the House when a no confidence motion against the Speaker is taken up. Though, the Speaker has a right to reply, Mr. Suresh Reddy told The Hindu on Sunday that he was prepared to lose the opportunity for the sake of upholding the highest traditions of the House. He hoped that the debate would be healthy, enlightening and, at the end of the day, strengthened Parliamentary democracy.

Tough job

Admitting that the Speaker’s task was quite challenging and needed sacrifices at times, Mr. Suresh Reddy said for the first time MLAs of 10 registered parties were accorded the status of floor leaders. “Opposition parties bring six to seven adjournment motions every day making my task difficult. Some parties may be feeling dissatisfied when I rejected these motions.”

On frequent criticism of the Chair by some Opposition members, he said: “My repeated appeals not to do so has been disregarded by them. I ignored all the criticism in the interest and spirit of Parliamentary traditions.

The Speaker can not and defend himself every time, he is targeted.”

Asked about the reported move by the TDP to bring its suspended MLA Karanam Balarama Krishnamurthy into the Assembly, he said it was for the House to debate it. “I was not connected with his suspension, which was ordered by the House on the basis of the Privileges Committee’s report. Yet, I was targeted,” he said.

To another question, he said he wanted to take a decision on the disqualification of the rebel TRS MLAs after the monsoon session but it was delayed by the special one-day session. “I will take a decision shortly,” he added.