Telangana row stalls LS again
Cong postpones CPP meet
As the row over bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh continued to stall the proceedings of the Lok Sabha, the ruling Congress on Thursday postponed its parliamentary party meet, ostensibly to deny its MPs — both favouring and opposing the new state of Telangana — a forum to ask uncomfortable questions to the top leadership.
Party President Sonia Gandhi was supposed to address the meet as the chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP). Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who left for Copenhagen on Thursday to attend the COP15 summit, too would have been present in the meet that was originally scheduled to be held on Thursday morning.
Sources in the Congress said the CPP might meet on Monday, after the Prime Minister’s return to Delhi. The current session of Parliament is also likely to conclude on Monday.
Statement soon
A senior functionary of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) said the government could make a statement clarifying its position on Telangana soon.
The Congress, which leads the ruling UPA in the Centre and is in power in Andhra Pradesh too, also started making efforts to curb the dissent that was sparked off within the party after Home Minister P Chidambaram on December 9 announced that the Union Government would initiate the process of creating the new state of Telangana.
Finance Minister and Leader of Lok Sabha Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday told a delegation of anti-Telangana Congress MPs from AP that though the party high-command had already decided to create the new state, the Centre would initiate the process only after the state Assembly adopted a resolution recommending for it.
He is also said to have told the Congress MPs from coastal and Rayalseema regions of the state that the party high-command was not happy over continued protests against its decision even after it was clarified that the Union Government would not start the process without taking everybody on board and evolving a consensus.
The passion over Telangana was on full display in the LS on Thursday. The Lower House witnessed adjournments as the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MPs staged noisy protests against bifurcation of the state, almost repeating the scenes witnessed on Wednesday.
As soon as the days proceeding started in the LS, the TDP members from coastal Andhra and Rayalseema created uproar by protesting the announcement for a separate Telangana state.
Displaying placards that read “We want united AP”, TDP MPs K Narayana Rao, M Venu Gopala Reddy, N Kristappa and N Sivaprasad rushed to the well and started raising slogans, even as Speaker Meira Kumar asked them not to display placards, saying the members should observe “sanctity” of the House.
The Congress members from Telangana retaliated by showing placards favouring a separate state and raised “Jai Telangana” slogans.
The Speaker had to adjourn the House till 2:00 pm.
But the noisy protests continued even after the House reassembled at 2:00 pm. Independent MP from Assam S K Bwismuthiary too joined the TDP MPs shouting slogans in favour of a separate state of Bodoland.
Though Deputy Speaker Karia Munda asked CPM’s Basudev Acharia to start a discussion on Maoist violence in the country, he could hardly be heard due to the uproar.
Janata Dal (United) leader Sharad Yadav’s proposal to have a brief discussion on Telangana was opposed by Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Lalu Yadav. The House was then adjourned for the day.
