Four members of the opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) were suspended from Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly for the rest of the budget session on Tuesday, March 22. Taking serious note of the unruly behaviour of the legislators — Ashok Bendalam, Velagapudi Ramakrishna Babu, Mantena Ramaraju, and Anagani Satya Prasad —  Speaker Tammineni Seetharam announced their suspension. The TDP members created a ruckus in the House to demand a debate on deaths due to illicit liquor in Jangareddygudem town of West Godavari district. 

As soon as the House met for the day, the opposition legislators were on their feet insisting for a debate on the issue. The Speaker rejected their notice for the adjournment motion on the ground that the issue was closed last week after Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy made a statement, clarifying the government’s stand. The YSRCP government has claimed that many of the alleged illicit liquor deaths in Jangareddygudem were actually a result of natural causes or other unrelated reasons. They alleged that the TDP was trying to falsely portray them as deaths caused by consumption of illicitly brewed liquor. 

However, the TDP members alleged that the government was hiding the truth by branding liquor deaths as normal deaths and demanded a debate on the issue. They trooped into the well of the House and raised slogans even as the question hour was taken up in the House. The Speaker admonished some TDP members who allegedly blew the whistle. He said they were bringing disrepute to the august House through their unruly behaviour. He named the four members and announced their suspension for the rest of the ongoing session.

The suspended TDP legislators later told the media that the government is trying to muzzle the voice of the opposition by suspending them. Meanwhile, TDP members in the Legislative Council also continued their protest demanding debate on deaths caused by illicit and cheap liquor. The protest by the opposition led to adjournment of the House.