Hyderabad, Dec 14 (IANS) Legislators of the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) were Tuesday suspended from the Andhra Pradesh assembly when they stalled its proceedings demanding that the government withdraw all the cases booked against students during the agitation for a separate Telangana state.
All nine legislators of TRS present in the house were bodily lifted out by marshals after they refused to leave despite repeated appeals by Deputy Speaker N. Manohar.
After being evicted from the house, the TRS legislators began a sit-in at Telangana martyrs’ memorial at Gun Park in front of the assembly building. Holding placards and raising slogans, they demanded the government to withdraw all the cases.
Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Communist Party of India (CPI), Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) staged a walkout, raising the same demand while Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) registered its protest.
Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) too lodged its protest while demanding withdrawal of cases both against students who participated in the movement for and against separate Telangana state and also during communal riots in Hyderabad.
The government had Monday announced in assembly withdrawal of all simple cases against students and other protesters who participated in the agitations.
A total of 1,667 cases were booked against 8,047 people during separate Telangana and unified Andhra agitations between December 2009 and September this year. The government withdrew 562 cases against 2,436 people but said remaining cases were of serious nature and hence a decision be taken on their withdrawal after examining them case by case.
As soon as the house met for the day, TRS legislators trooped near the speaker’s podium, demanding the government to withdraw all the cases. Amid the pandemonium, the deputy speaker adjourned the house for 15 minutes.
When the house reassembled they continued the protest. Home Minister Sabita Indra Reddy reiterated that the government would take a decision after examining the cases.
TRS floor leader E. Rajender warned the government that it would have to pay a heavy price for not withdrawing the cases. He said there were precedents when the government withdrew serious cases against politicians and even criminals.
TDP chief N. Chandrababu Naidu said the government should withdraw cases against all students keeping in view their future.
