TDP MLAs evicted

Dharna in Assembly over power and water crisis Hyderabad: TDP MLAs numbering 56 who staged a sit-in dharna in the state legislative Assembly for over 12 hours, demanding a debate on the power and drinking water crisis, were evicted by the marshals and the police late on Friday night. In the morning , members of the main opposition squatted in the well of the House as they failed to get an assurance from the chair on taking up their demands for discussion immediately. After repeated attempts to restore order in the House, Speaker N Manohar adjourned the house for the day at noon. But the TDP legislators continued their protest till 11.30 pm when they were lifted physically and shifted in police vans to NTR Trust Bhavan and New MLA quarters. The members declared that they would not call off their stir until Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy considered their demand. Those on protest included TDLP deputy leader Ashok Gajapathi Raju, M Narasimhulu, P Keshav and A Revanth Reddy. Sensing trouble, State Legislative Affairs minister D Sridhar Babu appealed to the MLAs to call off the protest. But they did not relent. The protesting MLAs spent a few hours in the dark as power supply was disconnected in the Assembly premises. CPI floor leader Gunda Mallesh expressed solidarity with the protesting MLAs. The MLAs continued their dharna at NTR Trust Bhawan even after midnight.