In a setback to the TDP’s floor strategy, YSRCP member RK Roja, whose suspension was set aside in an interim order by the High Court of Hyderabad, announced that she was attending the Assembly from tomorrow onwards. Though it is an interim order from the High Court, the court found substance in the argument of Roja that the a member can’t be suspended for more than the current session and suspension had prevented her representing the people, who elected her to the Assembly. What is before the court is the provision under which the suspension was invoked. The YSRC has been arguing that no provision in the rule book authorizes the house to suspend the member for more than the current session. It is not clear yet whether her reentry would be a smooth affair on Friday. Following the Court Order speaker held meetings with chief minister and other senior ministers.
Today hours after the court ruling, Roja came to Assembly and delivered the copy of the interim order to the secretary of Assembly. She was given a rousing reception by her colleagues in the party.
The TDP, however, is interpreting the matter entirely from a new perspective and planning to challenge the interim order in the division bench.An official statement is awaited, though.
Sources in the TDP say the party is toying with the idea of challenging the order in division bench. The party is of the opinion that suspension was the decision of Assembly and court is not supposed to interpret the decision of the House. ” A resolution by the House will override the existing provision which limits the suspension of a member to the current session. After the resolution, the old rule automatically gets amended,” a party functionary said adding that the TDP leadership will decided in a day or two the matter of challenging the interim order.
There is certainly a lesson for the ruling parties, which enjoys majority in the House, in the judgment. The majority rule should not degenerate into tyranny. The ruling party should not get emboldened by the its brute majority that the it can take any action and escape the scrutiny of the courts. The current budget session has witnessed a new trend , which is unheard of, in the history of post-independent India. The trend is, a surprise indeed, that ruling party stalls the business of the House demanding response from the Opposition party. Whatever might be the reason, the ruling TDP and the leader of the House urged many times that they won’t allow the house transact the business till the opposition leader responded to their demand for proof for the charges he had made on the floor of the House. Many time in the House the demand led to the stalemate. Normally, demanding proper reply from the government, Opposition tends to employ this type strategy. The stand of the ruling Telugu Desam party clearly is governed by its majority in the House. If, for every charge or criticism leveled by the opposition, stalling the house by the ruling party is the response, that is end of the critical democracy. Inquiries are normally ordered by the parliaments or governments , when charges are leveled by media or opposition parties. If every proof is avaiable, then where is the need for inquiry commissions. Similarly, this is also incumbent upon the opposition party to ensure that the charges it made are not frivolous. Both sides should use the floor of the House responsibly, not to settle the political scores.
Coming back to the issue of Roja, Court can interpret the provisions but it may not touch the core of behavior of the members in the House. Court order can’t be construed as condonation. This is a wake-up call for reforming one’s language and behavior in the House.
