Indian politics touched a
new low Thursday as an Andhra Pradesh MP opposed to Telangana used pepper spray
in the Lok Sabha, triggering unprecedented clashes and leaving 16 MPs suspended
for turning parliament into a house of shame.
Lagadapati Rajagopal, one
of six MPs expelled from the Congress this week, was assaulted by fellow
parliamentarians and taken out of the house by marshals after he sprayed the
pungent pepper at startled parliamentarians to vent his anger over the decision
to carve out Telangana state.
During what turned out to
be another tumultuous day in parliament over Telangana, MPs came to blows, a
mike was ripped out, glass shattered and a computer was smashed.
Both Speaker Meira Kumar
and leaders of political parties described the Thursday turmoil as a blot on
Indian democracy. Janata Dal-United's Sharad Yadav branded Rajagopal's conduct
as sedition.
'This is an attack on our
democracy and it is nothing short of sedition,' said Yadav, who was in the Lok
Sabha when Rajagopal did the unthinkable.
'If the strongest action
is not taken, it will be difficult for parliament to run.'
Rajagopal's frenzy sent
scores of MPs and Lok Sabha officials -- and journalists in the media gallery
-- running for cover, coughing violently and with a burning sensation in their
eyes.
A pungent odour enveloped
the house, adding to the chaos caused by the unending sloganeering and
disruptions since morning.
Amid the commotion, the
UPA government managed to introduce a bill that would pave the way to carve out
a Telangana state out of Andhra Pradesh -- precisely the issue over which
Rajagopal was protesting. But the BJP and some others contested this claim.
TDP member M. Venugopala,
who too is against Andhra Pradesh's break up, wrenched the speaker's
microphone.
He refused to apologize
for the behaviour.
'No, I didn't do anything
wrong,' the agitated MP said. 'I was protesting. How dare they break up Andhra
Pradesh?'
Sixteen Lok Sabha MPs were
suspended for five days. They included five of the Congress, four of the TDP,
two of the YSR Congress including its leader Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy as well as
five expelled by the Congress this week.
The Lok Sabha did meet
again but there was no normalcy. Andhra Pradesh MPs again walked towards the
speaker shouting slogans, joined by Tamil Nadu members equally angry over the
attacks on their fishermen by the Sri Lanka Navy.
Amid the renewed chaos, an
Andhra MP collapsed and was rushed to hospital.
If all this wasn't enough,
supporters and opponents of Telangana fought with one another outside the
house, leaving an unspecified number injured.
The Rajya Sabha, which too
witnessed noisy disturbances, was adjourned for the day. And so was the Lok
Sabha.
In the upper house,
Congress member K.V.P. Ramachandra Rao and TDP's Y.S. Chowdhary and C.M. Ramesh
stood in front of the chairman's podium holding placards that demanded a
'United Andhra Pradesh!'
TDP's Gundu Sudha Rani and
some Congress leaders in turn flashed a placard seeking Telangana.
The Lok Sabha developments
drew widespread condemnation.
Parliamentary Affairs
Minister Kamal Nath said Thursday's ruckus 'is a big blot on our parliamentary
democracy... It is a very shameful act'.
Said Meira Kumar: 'Our
democracy is admired throughout the world. What has happened today is a blot.'
Home Minister Sushilkumar
Shinde promised 'strict action' against the MPs.
Rajagopal and other MPs
from the Seemandhra region are bitterly opposed to the division of Andhra
Pradesh.
They have been staging
noisy protests in the Lok Sabha right from the day it convened Feb 5, leaving
both houses crippled day after day.
The BJP and the CPI-M
blamed the Congress for the chaos, saying it was not unable to rein in its own ministers
and MPs.
BJP leader L.K. Advani,
one of India's most experienced parliamentarians, described the events as
'disgraceful'.
There will be no
parliament session Friday on account of a holiday.
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