Hyderabad: The YSR Congress Party's (YSRCP) 15 legislators were Thursday suspended from the Andhra Pradesh state assembly for a day for stalling the house as they opposed the proposed bifurcation of the state.
Speaker N. Manohar suspended the legislators after Minister for Legislative Affairs S. Sailajanath moved a motion for their suspension.
YSRCP lawmakers surrounded the speaker's podium, demanding that the house pass a resolution urging the central government to keep the state united.
Both the speaker and the legislative affairs minister repeatedly appealed to the legislators to resume their seats and cooperate in the debate on the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill, 2013, sent by the president to the assembly for its opinion.
As YSRCP members continued to stall proceedings, the minister moved a motion for their suspension. The speaker announced that the house adopted the motion with a voice vote. As the legislators refused to leave the house, the speaker called in the marshals, who bodily lifted them out.
