On Thursday, the Supreme Court (SC) directed the Speaker of the Andhra Pradesh Assembly to consider the letter of apology given by YSRCP (Yuvajana Shramika Rythu Congress Party) MLA R. K. Roja and take appropriate action on it.
The Supreme Court stated that the letter should be considered without prejudice and it should be disposed of after Roja’s counsel argued that no action had been taken.
As the Hyderabad High Court was looking into the case, the apex court also refused to interfere in the issue of the suspension of the Nagari legislator.
Roja’s counsel argued that the State Government denied having received her apology letter when it was given to them in the court. Following that, the SC asked the state’s advocates to circulate the letter to those concerned.
It was in December 2015, that Roja was suspended from the assembly for a year by Speaker, Kodela Sivaprasada Rao for obstructing the proceedings of the house and for making derogatory remarks against Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and also another female MLA.
The objectionable comments were made on the call money racket in the state during a debate. The debate involved private money lenders harassing and exploiting borrowers after providing them easy loans.
Roja moved to court and claimed that maximum period for which an MLA could be suspended under the relevant rule was until the remaining period of the session of the House, which got completed on December 22, 2015.
In March 2016, Judge of the Hyderabad High Court had put her suspension from the assembly on hold.
In March 2017, the Privileges Committee of the AP Assembly recommended her suspension for one year but left the final decision to the Speaker.
Roja has been given permission to visit the Assembly premises, as her party office is situated in the complex.
