Speaker begins hearing on TDPs disqualification

HYDERABAD:  The hearing on the disqualification petition pending against Kovur MLA Nallapureddy Prasanna Kumar Reddy commenced in the Assembly speaker’s court on Monday.Speaker Nadendla Manohar, who heard the arguments of the Telugu Desam,  will hear the arguments of Prasanna Kumar Reddy on Tuesday.TDP representative D Narendra Kumar, MLA, told the speaker that Prasanna Kumar Reddy had been indulging in anti-party activities since 2009 and submitted documents and CDs in support of the party’s charge."Reddy, after being elected on TDP manifesto, openly criticised party chief N Chandrababu Naidu several times. He also wished that the Congress should be strengthened in the state. We had submitted a petition when N Kiran Kumar Reddy was the speaker. The hearing began today,” Kumar said."Reddy wanted Sonia Gandhi to make YS Jagan Mohan Reddy as PCC chief and also participated in the dharnas and meetings organised by the YSR Congress. He even said there was no future for the TDP. Past Supreme Court judgments said that even suspended MLAs should not speak against the party which sent them to the Assembly. It will be construed as anti-party activity if a suspended MLA talks against his party,’’ Kumar contended.Reddy was suspended by the TDP for moving closely with the then chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy and later with his son and YSR Congress chief YS Jagan.Speaking to reporters later, Prasanna Kumar Reddy said that the speaker had heard the arguments of Narendra Kumar. “The speaker will hear my arguments on Tuesday. I will react only after the decision of the speaker on the petition,” Reddy said.When reporters asked him about the possibility of seeking the disqualification of another suspended MLA Nagam Janardhan Reddy, Narendra Kumar said the petition against Prasanna Kumar Reddy had been pending for two years.