Cong to suspend MPs over Telangana statehood row

With the issue of separate Telangana refusing to die down, a move appears afoot to suspend for a few days Congress members of the Lok Sabha from the region who have been agitating for the statehood cause.

Leader of the Lok Sabha Pranab Mukherjee held parleys with Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj apparently in this regard soon after the House adjourned for the second time today.

Mulayam Singh Yadav (Samajwadi Party), Sharad Yadav (JD-U) and Gurudas Dasgupta (CPI) were also present during the informal interaction in the House.

Mukherjee was also seen having a word with Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

The Congress proposal appeared to be to suspend the members for the remaining part of the Budget session, but it did not find favour with the CPI, which suggested that there should be a token punishment for only four days. This was supported by SP, JD-U and AIADMK and later the BJP.

The parleys took place soon after senior BJP leader Jaswant Singh and Dasgupta expressed dismay over the failure of the ruling party to control its members on the Telangana issue.

It happened when Congress members from the Telangana repeatedly disrupted proceedings by rushing to the front rows, raising slogans and waving placards demanding a separate state.

They did not relent even after Home Minister P Chidambaram, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal and Congress whip Ranee Narah persuaded them to go back to their seats.

The agitating members included Ponnam Prabhakar, Madhu Yakshi Goud and M Jagannath.