The issue of a separate Telangana rocked Parliament on Thursday with the Lok Sabha failing to transact any business as members from the TRS, the BJP and Congress representatives from the region made a common cause over the demand.
The Lok Sabha was adjourned for six times before being adjourned for the day at 3.15 p.m.
The Rajya Sabha failed to take up Question Hour as the House was adjourned twice over the issue till Zero Hour.
It was trouble from the word go in the Lok Sabha as TRS chief K. Chandrashekar Rao and his colleague M. Vijaya Shanthi rushed to the well, chanting ‘Jai Telangana’ and ‘We want Telangana’. They were supported by BJP members.
A section of Congress members from Andhra Pradesh too were seen in the aisle raising slogans for a separate Telangana, while TDP members were seen waving placards favouring ‘United Andhra Pradesh’
A Congress member went across to the TDP benches and snatched the placard and joined his protesting colleagues.
With the TRS members remaining adamant and aggressive and squatting repeatedly in the well, the Lok Sabha witnessed repeated disruptions and adjournments.
At one point, Ms. Vijaya Shanti appealed to the Leader of the House Pranab Mukherjee with folded hands seeking a statement from the government.
“You are hurting the sentiments of Telagana people,” she was heard telling Mr. Mukherjee from the well without getting any response from him.
The repeated pleas of Francisco Sardinha, who was in the Chair, that the TRS members should go to their seats and his assurance that he would ask the government to make a statement went unheeded.
“Please go to your place, maintain decorum,” was the plea of CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta, but it was turned down by Ms. Vijaya Shanti, who said, “we cannot get up.”
This led to adjournment of the Lok Sabha for the day.
Earlier, amidst the din, Shahnawaz Hussain (BJP) raised the issue of the Supreme Court verdict on CVC and said the matter should be taken up in the House considering its serious nature. He was supported by his party members.
