Prez's appeal ignored, anti-Telangana MPs disrupt House

Parliament's function is to debate, dissent and decide and not be disrupted, the President said

Members of Parliament (MPs) protesting against carving a state out of Andhra Pradesh created a ruckus in the Rajya Sabha on Monday. They tore up papers, broke the chairman’s microphone and held up placards near his chair, forcing the upper house to adjourn. The Lok Sabha, too, was adjourned amid noisy scenes.

MPs ignored an appeal by President Pranab Mukherjee to “introspect on Parliament’s functioning and follow convention and rules”. Mukherjee referred to Parliament as the Gangotri of Indian politics and asked how the tributaries of the Gangotri could remain pure if the Gangotri itself was polluted. However, his exhortation had little effect on the MPs, who were agitating over the creation of Telangana.

Tempers were frayed as a variety of challenges came up before the presiding officers. In the Rajya Sabha, the ruckus over Telangana and other issues flagged by slogan shouting Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) members in the well led to disruption. TDP members protested against bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh; issues raised by the DMK and AIADMK MPs could not be heard in the din. Some Congress members, too, raised slogans regarding the bifurcation.

In the Lok Sabha, supporters and opponents of Telangana rushed to the well, raising slogans as soon as the House met. Some Samajwadi Party members also raised slogans on the communal violence Bill, but they could not be heard.

Shiromani Akali Dal members kept standing with placards demanding Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi name those behind the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.