The Lok Sabha was forced to be adjourned for the day on Monday as MPs belonging to all parties hailing from the Telangana region rushed to the podium waving placards and shouting slogans demanding the immediate announcement of Telangana state. They included TRS MPs K. Chandrasekhar Rao, Vijayashanthi, TD’s Nama Nageswara Rao and Congress legislators Ponnam Prabhakar, Manda Jagannadham, Gutta Sukhender Reddy, S. Rajaiah, G. Vivekanand, Madhu Yashki Goud, Balaram Naik and Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy.
The Lok Sabha was adjourned thee times following the disturbances and finally adjourned for the day. Union ministers V. Narayana Swamy and P.K. Bansal and senior leader Girija Vyas tried to pacify the agitating Congress members, but were unable to do so. Later all the eight Congress MPs from Telangana staged a dharna at the Gandhi statue opposite the entrance of Parliament.
The MPs said that they support Tuesday’s Telangana bandh call and vowed to bring more pressure on the Centre till they get a firm announcement on Telangana. Mr Rao said, “How long does the Centre want to delay the announcement? Is it not the responsibility of the PM to respond to the demand and agitation which has been going on in Telangana region since years? We won’t allow the LS to function till an announcement comes. You (the PM) announce granting of separate state now, and if you don’t want to do it, you also say that and refuse. We will then do what we have to.”