Nine Andhra MPs suspended from lok Sabha

lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar Monday suspended nine members from Andhra Pradesh from the house for five days for causing unending disruption over the decision to create a separate Telangana state.

The speaker named the nine MPs -- four from the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and five from the Congress -- under rule 374(A) of parliamentary proceedings, which automatically suspends them for the next five sittings.

Under the rule, any member named by the speaker shall "stand automatically suspended from the service of the house for five consecutive sittings or the remainder of the session whichever is less".

Of the nine MPs, Nimalla Kristappa, Modugula Venugopala Reddy, Konakalla Narayan Rao and Nirmalalli Sivaprasad are from the TDP, while Savarshri A. Sai Prathap, Anantha Venkatrami Reddy, l. Raja Gopal, Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy and Bapi Raju Kanumuru belong to the Congress.

The members have been protesting against the decision to create Telangana from Andhra Pradesh. As soon as the house assembled at 11 a.m., the members started shouting slogans demanding a united Andhra Pradesh. They refused to be silenced despite repeated requests by the speaker.

Following this, the speaker said: "I name you under rule 374(A). You may forthwith withdraw from the precincts of the house". Thereafter, Meira Kumar adjourned the house till 2 p.m. The nine Andhra Pradesh MPs were among the 12 suspended Aug 23 on a similar issue. The ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) coalition, led by the Congress, has approved carving out a separate Telangana state out of Andhra Pradesh.