T-MPs told not to protest in House

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UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday publicly snubbed Telangana Congress MPs in the Lok Sabha for the first time. She told the MPs, who had tried to stall House proceedings, to protest outside if they wished to do so.

While President Pranab Mukherjee, earlier as the leader of the House, and parliamentary affairs minister Pavan Kumar Bansal would control the Telangana Congress MPs whenever they tried to stall the proceedings, on Wednesday, Mrs Gandhi herself stepped in. The Lok Sabha, which met at 11 am was immediately adjourned to noon following protests by the BJP and other Opposition members. Congress MPs Ponnam Prabhakar, Manda Jagannadham, Gutta Sukhender Reddy, Komatireddy Rajagopala Reddy, Sircilla Rajaiah and G. Vivek added to the commotion.

Sonia did not snub or chide us, say MPs
Before the Lok Sabha reassembled at noon, the Telangana MPs went up to new home minister and Leader of the House Sushilkumar Shinde and wished him on his promotion. They also requested him to speed up the process of formation of the Telangana state.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi entered the House and took her seat next to Mr Shinde. When the MPs greeted her, Mrs Gandhi told them not to create any scenes in the House as they were members of the ruling party. “How can you do that, if at all you want to protest, go outside and do it.”

Later, the MPs went up to her again and tried to explain the reasons for their protest in the House and Mrs Gandhi again told them that they could not do that while sitting in the Treasury Benches. Referring to the Telangana issue, she told them that it was under consideration. “You cannot do this. The Opposition is trying to stall the House, why do you join them? You are embarrassing the government. Can you expect Telangana state by just raising the issue here?” she asked.

Following this, the castigated MPs kept quiet throughout the House proceedings. They later clarified, “She only advised us not to embarrass the government being members of the ruling party, but she never snubbed or chided as projected in the media.”