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72 oppn MLAs suspended in AP: PTI

Seventy-two Congress, Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen and Left party members were on Friday suspended from the Andhra Pradesh assembly for periods ranging from one to three days for obstructing proceedings even as the Telugu Desam Party government conceded a combined opposition demand for constituting a House Committee to look into power reforms.

As the power tariff issue rocked the House for the sixth day, the opposition attack gained stridency forcing the government to agree to a House committee to make a comparative study of the status of power reforms, tariff structures and management of power sector in various states.

The demand for a House committee to look into the circumstances that led to the recent hike in power tariff was voiced by all opposition parties, including the ruling TDP's ally, the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, whose reply to an acrimonious debate on the issue was interrupted by slogan-shouting opposition members for the third consecutive day, agreed to the idea but rejected the demand for suspending the hike, pending submission of the House committee's report.

Pandemonium prevailed in the House with Congress and Communist Party of India-Marxists members storming the well and raising slogans demanding rollback of the hike even as the treasury benches accused them of deliberately obstructing the proceedings.

Sixty-five Congress members, four MIM, two CPI-M and the lone CPI (ML-New Democracy) member were suspended from the House for creating unruly scenes.

D Nagender (Congress) was suspended for six days for tearing papers near the Speaker's podium. The other Congress and Left parties members were suspended for three days, while the MIM legislators were suspended for the day.

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