JOIN US16 MPs from Cong, TDP, YSRC suspended
Cracking the whip on violent Andhra Pradesh MPs for bringing disrepute to parliamentary democracy, Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar on Thursday suspended 16 members for creating “grave disorder” and “abusing rules” to scuttle introduction of a bill providing for the creation of Telangana state.
But, in the list of suspended MPs – 11 from Congress, three from TDP and two from YSR Congress – names of union ministers from AP, who too were seen participating in the protest in the well of the lower house, were surprisingly missing. Most of the outcast members are from Seemandhra region, except for three representing Telangana region of the state.
The Speaker had to take punitive action before the Telangana bill could be introduced at noon. L Raja Gopal of Congress and Modugula Venugopala Reddy, who were leading the pack in creating the ruckus, started breaking glass, spraying liquid pepper and snatching the mike, causing members to choke and run for cover.
The ten suspended Congress MPs are – Sabbam Hari, Anantha Venkatarami Reddy, Rayapati Sambasiva Rao, S P Y Reddy, Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy, V Aruna Kumar, A Sai Prathap, L Raja Gopal, K R G Reddy, and Gutha Sukhender Reddy. Three others from TDP are Nimmala Kristappa, Modugula Venugopal Reddy and Konakalla Narayan Rao, besides Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy and Dr Nirmalli Sivaprasad from the YSR Congress.
Surprisingly, union ministers, including K S Rao, Dr Killi Kruparani and D Purandeswari, were seen participating in the protest but have not been barred from the House till the session ends on February 21. Other ministers - Pallam Raju and Chiranjivi - were up on their feet but standing in the aisle.
“If the Speaker wanted to suspend us, why not suspend the entire Congress lords who have pounced on us. Several ministers were in the well protesting against the bill. Why no action was taken against them. It is clear partisan attitude on the part of the Speaker,” L Raja Gopal said after he was led away by parliamentary security officials.
After an abrupt adjournment at noon, Meira Kumar announced the decision when the House met at 2 pm.
Naming the 16 MPs, she said that they have been suspended under Rule 374 A, “in the event of grave disorder” arising out of members walking into the well of the House or “abusing the Rules” through “persistently and wilfully obstructing its business by shouting slogans or otherwise, such members stand automatically barred from participating in five consecutive sittings or for the remainder of the session.
Surprisingly, the Congress had expelled six MPs from the party but not taken any action against either Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy and union ministers opposed to Telangana, BJP leader Sushma Swaraj said.