BJP legislator Eatala Rajender was suspended from the Telangana Legislative Assembly on Tuesday, September 13, for the rest of the ongoing session for his allegedly inappropriate remarks against the Speaker. Speaker Pocharam Srinivas Reddy announced Eatala’s suspension after Minister for Legislative Affairs Vemula Prashanth Reddy moved a resolution and the same was passed by a voice vote. Expressing unhappiness over BJP not being invited to the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting, Rajender had said on September 6 that the Speaker should not be a robot in the hands of the Chief Minister. Eatala was shifted out of the Assembly in a police vehicle.
As soon as the house met for the day, Chief Whip Vinay Bhaskar of the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) raised the issue and demanded an apology from Rajender. When the Speaker asked Rajender to speak, Prashant Reddy intervened to say that the member should apologise instead of giving a clarification as he has publicly made the inappropriate remark and later defended it.
The minister also alleged that Rajender was always looking to get suspended from the House and create a ruckus outside. He said that during the previous Assembly session, Rajender had got himself suspended due to his behaviour in the House over the issue of the Governor's customary address to the Assembly. Prashant Reddy claimed that Rajender had no intention of participating in the debate. "We want you to sit in the House and participate in every debate. We request you to say sorry to the Speaker and participate in the deliberations," he said.
Live : https://t.co/kkFgL8n4nW
— Eatala Rajender (@Eatala_Rajender) September 13, 2022
The Speaker also suggested to Rajender to respond to the mood of the House. He also observed that it's the responsibility of all members to protect the honour of the House. When Rajender stood up and said that he had been a member of the House for a long time and asserted that the Speaker is like his father, the minister intervened again and asked if somebody would use such objectionable words against his father.
Taking strong exception to Rajender's ‘robot’ remark, the Legislative Affairs Minister had earlier demanded that he tender an unconditional apology to the Speaker. Terming BJP MLA's remark derogatory and an insult to the Assembly, Prashanth Reddy had said if he failed to apologise, action will be initiated against him as per Assembly rules. The minister maintained that it is the Speaker's decision to invite a party to the BAC meeting.
After being dropped from the state Cabinet by Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao last year, Rajender quit TRS and joined BJP. He was later re-elected to the Assembly from the Huzurabad constituency.