Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and 12 other Telugu Desam Party MLAs were suspended from the Andhra Pradesh Assembly for a day on Monday, reported ANI.

Naidu and the others were suspended after they staged a sit-in in front of the Speaker’s podium alleging that they were not being allowed to speak about the help needed for farmers in the aftermath of Cyclone Nivar, reported The Hindu.

Cyclone Nivar, which hit the southern states last week, claimed eight lives in Andhra Pradesh, while four persons went missing, according to the Deccan Chronicle.

The party’s MLAs and MLCs organised a protest rally near the Andhra Pradesh Assembly on the first day of the session, demanding immediate compensation to the farmers adversely affected by Nivar, according to ANI.

“For the first time in my long political career, I faced suspension,” Naidu said, speaking to the media. “I never thought that I would rush to the Speaker’s podium. But, I endured the humiliation and suspension for the sake of the farmers who suffered heavy losses owing to the rain caused by Cyclone Nivar.”

He said the farmers had suffered crop losses in over 20 lakh to 25 lakh acres in the past one and a half years and that the YS Jaganmohan Reddy government took no concrete steps to address the matter. He also alleged that the proceedings of the House did not start till the chief minister arrived. “Neither does the Assembly nor the Parliament wait for any leader as these citadels of democracy are above individuals and have a sanctity of their own,” he said.

Later, the official handle of the Telugu Desam Party tweeted a video of Naidu and other legislators sitting at the entrance of the Assembly.