Roja still an MLA even after suspension : Jagan

Leader of the Opposition in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly YS Jagan Mohan Reddy took strong objection to barring of Roja from entering the Assembly premises. Questioning the legality of the suspension of his party’s Nagari MLA Roja for one year, Jagan said she doesn’t cease to be a member of the House just because she was suspended and the suspension was against the rules.

Speaker had no powers to suspend a member beyond the session, he said. ” If the House wants to suspend any member longer than the session, the matter has to be referred to the Privileges Committee and the MLA should also be given an opportunity to present his case,” Jagan argued.

He raised the matter in Assembly on Saturday. Demanding the revocation suspension, Jagan read out the rule 340 which talked of the limited power of the chair in suspending a member, and asked the speaker to spell out the rule under which Raja was suspended .

He alleged that the ruling party was arrogating itself the authority it doesn’t have to suspend a woman MLA without any provocation. He said the chair was silent when minister Atchannaidu said in an unparliamentary language that he would bury that ‘Goonda’. He said the ruling party was practicing two types of rules in Assembly, one for members like Atchannaidu and the other for women member like Roja. He made it clear that the opposition party would continue its agitation till Roja’s suspension was revoked.

Stating that Roja was even barred from entering the Assembly premises, Jagan said suspension doesn’t mean cessation of membership of the House. ” Roja is very much the member of the House. She can’t be stopped from entering the YSRCLP office,” he said.

Speaking on the Call Money scam, YS Jagan alleged that the government was brazenly trying to save the TDP men involved in the scam. He said the roots of the call money scam lie in the TDP government’s failure to waive DWCRA loans. As credit channel was closed to women’s groups, the women had no option but fall prey to the rapacious private money lenders.

Even while the protest continued the Speaker allowed the six important bills moved in the House.
Later, the speaker adjourned the House for 15 minutes for tea.