Speaker rejects resignation of 13 MPs

Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar on Friday rejected resignations of 13 Seemandhra MPs, setting the stage for a confrontation when the Telangana Bill comes up for discussion in Parliament.

The Speaker said the resignations were “not voluntary or genuine” as they came in the wake of protests in the Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra regions following the Congress’ decision to carve out a separate Telangana state on July 30.

Some MPs insisted on submitting fresh resignations after receiving a letter from the Speaker’s office. “I will resign again,” S P Y Reddy, an MP from Nandyal, told Deccan Herald.

On Friday afternoon, each of the 13 MPs who quit in the first week of August, received a call from the Lok Sabha Secretariat stating that the Speaker had decided to reject their resignations under Article 101(3) of the Constitution and Rule 240 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Lok Sabha.

Article 101(3) speaks about rejection of resignation if the Lok Sabha Speaker is “satisfied” that it is “not voluntary or genuine”. Rule 240 is also of a similar nature.

S P Y Reddy, G V Harsha Kumar, A Sai Prathap, Lagadapati Rajagopal, Sabbam Hari, Anantha Venkatarami Reddy, Aruna Kumar Vundavalli, Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy, Bapi Raju Kanumuri and Rayapati Sambasiva Rao of the Congress, Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy and M Rajamohan Reddy of the YSR Congress (YSRC) and Konakalla Narayana of the Telugu Desam Party had resigned in protest against the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.

Lagadapati Rajagopal also moved the Delhi High Court, seeking a direction to the Speaker to accept his resignation. In his petition, Rajagopal said he resigned voluntarily. Citing Lok Sabha rules and provisions, Rajagopal argued that the Speaker had no authority to reject his resignation.

“The Speaker may have considered the pressure on public representatives to resign in the wake of the Telangana decision,” Aruna Kumar said.