JOIN USFormer Congress president Sonia Gandhi swung into action in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday as TDP members sought to block Mallikarjun Kharge who was participating in the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President for his address to Parliament.
Sonia, the leader of the Congress in Parliament, was seen reaching out to TDP members who were vociferously demanding a special status for Andhra Pradesh by raising slogans and displaying placards in the Well of the House.
"We had made certain promises. We would have implemented it had you cooperated with is then. We empathise with you all. We understand your problems," she was heard telling TDP members Kesineni Srinivas, Sriram Malyadri, K Ram Mohan Naidu, Jaydeva Galla among others who were in the Well.
Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan had adjourned the proceedings briefly as her pleas to the TDP members against blocking Kharge from the video cameras in the House went unheeded.
Sonia later asked Jyotiraditya Scindia to reason with the TDP members who, too, were in no mood to relent.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was also present in the House.
TDP member Srinivas was also furious at Sonia and was seen telling her that it was because of the Congress that Andhra Pradesh was facing problems.
Sonia was also furious at the Speaker's suggestion that Kharge should move a few rows behind to ensure that he was not blocked by the TDP members.
Later, when asked about the stand-off in the Lok Sabha, Congress leader K C Venugopal said the TDP protests were a "fixed match" with the BJP.
Venugopal said the TDP members did not block BJP members Rakesh Singh and Prahlad Joshi who had spoken before Kharge.