Vijayawada MP Lagadapati Rajagopal, who hit the headlines world over by his action of spraying pepper in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, has made it clear that he will not rest come what may till the decision to create Telangana is dropped. “I am determined to fight tooth and nail to keep Andhra Pradesh united”, he told The Hindu in New Delhi.
Mr. Rajagopal, who was expelled from the Congress a few days earlier for giving notice for moving a no-confidence motion against the UPA-II government, now stands suspended till Thursday next by Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar for his unruly act in the House.
He reiterated that he sprayed pepper as a self-defence technique and he had only pointed the can in the air and not against any other member. This was to prevent them from attacking him for opposing the Telangana bill and also for trying to save another member from Seemandhra — TDP’s Narasaraopet MP Modugula Venugopala Reddy. But he felt sorry as his act had caused lot of inconvenience to the fellow members and journalists in the press gallery.
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The MP, who will be turning 50 on February 16, 2014, said after being escorted out of the House by security personnel he was taken a room in the first floor of the parliament complex where a doctor examined him as he too was affected by pepper spray. Thereafter he slept for two-three hours before coming out. He was not treated badly by the security staff, he said in response to a question.
He claimed that the Congress party had wantonly sent over 100 members to the Well of the House to take care of the protesting Seemandhra MPs. He sought to know why no member was suspended for attacking him and Mr. Modugula Venugopala Reddy.