As many as 35 opposition members belonging to the Congress and Communist Party of India (Marxist) were suspended on Saturday for the day for obstructing the proceedings of the Andhra Pradesh legislative assembly, demanding payment of ex-gratia to the families of distressed farmers who committed suicide.

Revenue Minister P Ashok Gajapathi Raju moved the motion for suspending the Congress and CPI-M members, including Leader of the Opposition Dr Y S Rajasekhar Reddy and CPI (M) floor leader N Narasimhaiah.

The trouble arose during zero hour when Congress member P Venugopal Reddy asked the state government to follow in the footsteps of the Karnataka government and earmark an ex-gratia of Rs 100,000 in the budget for the families of farmers who committed suicide following crop failure and a huge debt burden.

Reddy said that when the issue was raised on earlier occasions, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu had assured the government would provide ex-gratia if Karnataka or other states offered similar assistance.

Agriculture Minister Vadde Sobhanadreeswara Rao said the government would discuss the issue and take a decision.

He, however, refused any specific assurance saying the rules barred him from responding in detail to zero hour mentions. Noisy scenes erupted soon after when the Congress members stood up and displayed placards seeking cash assistance for the farmers' families.

The Congress members remained adamant seeking the minister's reply, ignoring Speaker K Pratibha Bharathi's repeated pleas for not obstructing the proceedings.

She then adjourned the House for tea break in view of the noisy scenes. But when the House re-assembled, the members were again on their feet, demanding the minister's reply.

An exasperated Bharathi later asked the revenue minister to move the motion for suspending the members for a day under rule 300 (sub-rule 2) of the assembly rules.

After the motion was adopted, the Speaker asked the suspended members to leave the House. Marshals were called in to remove the suspended members.

The members, however, rushed towards the chief minister's office in the assembly premises. As the security personnel prevented them from barging in, the enraged members damaged the entry door and broke flowerpots.

Minister K Vidyadhar Rao and minister K Vijayarama Rao condemned the 'unruly behaviour' of the opposition members who were not supposed to remain in the assembly premises after their suspension.

Protesting over the suspension, the Majlis-e-Ittehaadul Muslimeen members and a Telangana Rashtra Samithi legislator staged a walkout.