Lok Sabha Speaker suspends 19 AIADMK, TDP MPs for four days

Soon after the House reassembled at noon on Thursday after a washout of the question hour, the AIADMK and the TDP members trooped near Speaker's podium and started sloganeering.

Piloting the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2019, Home Minister Rajnath Singh told the Opposition that the bill was not against the provisions of the Constitution and would give succour to persecuted minorities in the three neighbouring countries.

New Delhi: As many as 19 Lok Sabha members belonging to the Telugu Desam Party(TDP) and AIADMK were on Thursday suspended for four consecutive sittings by Speaker Sumitra Mahajan for causing "grave disorder" in the House by storming near the podium, tearing papers and throwing them towards the Chair. The Speaker's action came a day after she had suspended 24 Lok Sabha members belonging to AIADMK for five consecutive sittings for their similar "unruly behaviour". Soon after the House reassembled at noon on Thursday after a washout of the question hour, the AIADMK and the TDP members trooped near Speaker's podium and started sloganeering. The AIADMK members were protesting against the proposal for a dam across Cauvery river in Karnataka while the TDP members were demanding special status to Andhra Pradesh. As the official papers were being laid on the table of the House amid din, Mahajan warned the protesting members to go back to their seats or face action. But the members did not relent. "I will name you...I am warning...you have come to the well of the House...you are violating the dignity of the house..it's a grave disorder...Under rule 374 (A) you are suspended for four consecutive sittings," she said. And then, she started reading the names that included TDP's Jayadev Galla, Maganti Murali Mohan, Muthamsetti Srinivasa Rao, Ashok Gajapathi Raju, Thota Narasimham, Ram Mohan Naidu. Mahajan then adjourned the House till 2 p.m.