Telangana issue rocks Parliament

Lead to adjournment of Lok Sabha and repeated adjournemnts of Rajya Sabha

Telangana issue rocked both Houses of Parliament on the first day of the extended Winter Session, leading to adjournment of the Lok Sabha for the day and repeated adjournments of Rajya Sabha.

Both the Houses saw noisy scenes as soon as they met for the day with members from Andhra Pradesh from Telangana as well as Seemandhra regions cutting across party lines storming the Well. Those protesting included members from ruling Congress.

While Seemandhra members carried placards saying 'Jai Samaikya Andhra Pradesh' (hail united Andhra Pradesh), Telangana members shouted slogans demanding early creation of the separate state.

The government has announced that it will take up the Bill to carve out a separate Telangana state from Andhra Pradesh in the session that will conclude on February 21.

Andhra Pradesh has remained sharply divided on regional lines on the Telangana issue and the Bill is coming to Parliament after being rejected by the Andhra Pradesh Assembly.

Government is expected to introduce the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill in Parliament next week.

Meanwhile, Shiromani Akali Dal members were on their feet, targetting Congress on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in the wake of renewed controversy on the issue following a television interview by Rahul Gandhi.

Carrying placards and shouting slogans, they wanted day-to-day trial of pending cases against Congress leaders Sajjan Kumar and Jagdish Tytler.

BSP members were also in the Well but it was not immediately clear what issue they were raising.

Speaker Meira Kumar repeatedly appealed to members to maintain calm and allow smooth conduct of the House, reminding them that it was the last session of the 15th Lok Sabha. As her pleas went unheeded, she adjourned the House, first till noon and later for the day.

Before the adjournment, the House condemned the attacks and harassment of people from the Northeast in various parts of the country in the wake of the killing of a boy from Arunachal Pradesh in Delhi.