Suspended YSRC MLA Roja hospitalised as her health weakens during protest
Roja was stopped from entering Andhra Pradesh Assembly despite a High Court order staying her suspension.
Hyderabad: Suspended YSR Congress MLA Roja was rushed to a hospital on Saturday after her health weakened during a protest outside the Andhra Pradesh Assembly. The MLA was protesting for a second day in a row against the ruling party for not allowing her to enter the Assembly.
Roja, the MLA from Nagari in Chittoor district, was suspended for a year during the winter session of the AP Assembly in December last year for allegedly using unparliamentary and abusive language against certain members of the ruling Telugu Desam, including Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu.
She had obtained an interim order from the High Court of Judicature at Hyderabad against her suspension but the Legislature Secretary challenged the single judge's order before a division bench and she was prevented from entering the Assembly.
YSR Congress MLAs on Saturday came to the House wearing black clothes in protest against the treatment meted out to Roja.
Read: Roja denied entry in House; YSRC MLAs don black in protest
Inside the House, the YSRC members stormed the Speaker's podium raising slogans like 'we want justice', causing a din.
The Question Hour continued for about half an hour amid the din but as the Opposition continued with their sloganeering, Speaker Kodela Sivaprasada Rao adjourned the proceedings for ten minutes.
The ruling Telugu Desam, which took this as a prestige issue, was determined not to let Roja into the House.
The Speaker on Friday had said it was for the House to take a decision on whether or not to allow Roja inside as it was the same House that voted for her year-long suspension during the winter session in December last. He posted the matter for Monday.
As Roja walked into the Assembly premises along with fellow women MLAs of YSRC, the marshals stopped her from proceeding beyond the Gate.
Roja picked up an argument with the marshals demanding that they show written orders denying her entry into the House.
The other YSRC members, however, went into the House in their black dresses and protested.
After the proceedings were adjourned for ten minutes, the YSRC members staged a sit-in protest near inner gate of the Assembly in solidarity with Roja.