Journalism of Courage
Though Rajya Sabha did not take up the Telangana Bill on Wednesday, the proceedings of the House were not devoid of drama. TDP MP C M Ramesh, who was opposing the division of Andhra Pradesh, pushed Secretary General Shumsher K Sheriff and tried to snatch official papers from him. The MP later apologised for his conduct, prompting Deputy Chairman P J Kurien to drop his plans to take action against him.
Ramesh, who along with his party colleague Y S Chowdhary was in the Well of the House, tried to snatch papers from Sheriff when he rose to read out a message from the Lok Sabha about passage of the Telangana Bill. As a result, the Secretary General could not read the message. An angry Kurien called the MP’s conduct unfortunate and said the staff should not be attacked.
The two TDP members along with Congress’s K V P Ramachandra Rao were in the Well of the House through the day with Chowdhary raising “save democracy” and “save Andhra Pradesh” slogans every now and then. At one point, Kurien lost his cool. “You shut up,” Kurien told Chowdhary who was repeatedly interrupting him.
When the House reassembled again, Kurien said Ramesh’s conduct was “highly deplorable” and “unbecoming of a member” and started to read out his possible suspension from the House when other Opposition members led by AIADMK’s V Maitreyan intervened and urged the Chair to hear out what Ramesh has to say.
Ramesh regretted his action saying, “The issue is very emotional. What I did was not intentional. I regret. I am feeling sorry. I apologise for this this incident.” Thereon, the Chair dropped the plan to take action against him. Kurien also asked ministers from Seemandhra who were standing to register their protest to resign rather than display protest in this manner. He asked Minister K S Rao — a Lok Sabha member — to leave the House after Leader of the Opposition Arun Jaitley invoked rules to argue that the ministers from Lok Sabha cannot disturb the Upper House through protests.
