Lok Sabha: Telangana issue rocks Parliament, 9 MPs suspended

Telangana issue rocked Parliament on Monday with Lok Sabha Speaker Meria Kumar taking the unprecedented step of suspending nine members -- four of Telugu Desam Party and five Congress -- from Andhra Pradesh for creating "grave disorder".

In Rajya Sabha too, two TDP members were suspended for the day for disrupting the House on Telangana issue.

Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day at 2 PM by Deputy Speaker Karia Munda after agitating TDP members did not heed to his request to withdraw from the House forthwith and allow its smooth conduct.

Three of the four TDP members N Kristappa, M Venugopal Reddy and N Sivaprasad were still in the Well despite it being adjourned for the day. Leader of TDP in Lok Sabha Nama Nageshwar Rao was seen consulting opposition leaders including Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj.

When the House assembled for the day, Speaker Meira Kumar suspended TDP members Kristappa, Venugopal Reddy, K N Rao and Sivaprasad and five Congress MPs A Sai Pratap, Anantha Venkatrami Reddy, N Rajagopal, Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy and K Bapi Raju for continuously disrupting the proceedings.

The action was taken under Rule 374(A) of Rules of Procedure of the Lok Sabha. As per the Rule, a member after being named by the Speaker stands "automatically suspended from the service of the House for five consecutive sittings or the remainder of the session, whichever is less".

The Rule regarding automatic suspension is applied in the event of "grave disorder occasioned by a member coming into the Well of the House or abusing the Rules of the House persistently and willfully obstructing its business by shouting slogans".

This is the third instance of suspension of members in the present Lok Sabha. More than a year back, eight pro-Telangana Congress members had been suspended from the House for similar reasons.

This is also the first instance when the same members were named twice in the same session under the Rule which came into being over a decade back. The previous action was on August 23 for paralysing the House since the current session began on August 5.

The adjournment of the Lok Sabha also came at a time when BJP members were seen vociferously protesting over the alleged unparliamentary words used by Congress members against agitating TDP members and the Left protesting against the fuel price hike.

Earlier, the House had witnessed clash between members of Congress and TDP with allegations that abusive language was used, leading to a complaint to the Speaker.

The clash occurred soon after the House was adjourned at around 11.15 am following suspension of members till the end of the session on September 6.

As soon as the House was adjourned, Congress members Sandeep Dikshit and Madhu Yakshi Goud and TDP members N Kristappa, M Venugopal Reddy, K N Rao and N Sivaprasad entered into a verbal duel.

There were allegations that both sides used abusive and unparliamentary language against each other.

While TDP members were unavailable for comment, BJP spokesman Syed Shahnawaz Hussain articulated their version. He conveyed the matter to Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj who lodged a complaint with the Speaker against Dikshit and Goud.

When the House reassembled at 2 pm, Hussain was heard raising the issue along with other BJP members.

Though Deputy Speaker Karia Munda invited Seemandhra Congress MP Vundavalli Aruna Kumar to raise the matter, his voice could not be heard in the din.

In the Rajya Sabha, Deputy Chairman P J Kurien invoked Rule 255 to suspend TDP members C M Ramesh and Y R Chowdhary who trooped into the Well holding placards against formation of Telangana.

Rule 255 states that "the Chairman may direct any member whose conduct is in his opinion grossly disorderly to withdraw immediately from the Council and any member so ordered to withdraw shall do so forthwith and shall absent himself during the remainder of the day's meeting."