New Delhi: Seemandhra MP Lagadapati Rajagopal, who was suspended for using pepper spray inside the Lok Sabha, has accused Speaker Meira Kumar of being hand-in-glove with the government on the Telangana Bill. He has alleged that while over 100 MPs had entered the well of the House on Thursday, she singled out and suspended only 17 MPs.
"More than 100 MPs were in the well on Thursday, the Speaker singled out some MPs, action must be taken against all MPs. Ministers were in the well too. The government and the Congress leadership influenced the Speaker to act in this manner. The procedure of introduction of the Bill was incorrect, she didn't read our names. We will be sending letters of how all procedures were violated to the Speaker and various political parties," Rajagopal said.
ALSO SEE Used pepper spray in self defence as a mob attacked me in LS: L Rajagopal
When asked if he regrets using pepper spray in the House, Rajagopal said, "I regret and feel ashamed to be part of this Parliament. It's a death blow for democracy. The way the Speaker and the government functioned on Thursday was disgraceful."
Earlier on Thursday, defending his stand over using pepper spray in the Lok Sabha, Rajagopal had said that he used the spray only in self defence as he was attacked by a mob. "I have a right to defend myself. Pepper spray is a legally allowed weapon of self defence. What would I have done if the 'mob' attacked me. I used the pepper spray to disperse the crowd that had gathered at the well of the house," Rajagopal questioned.
ALSO SEE Seemandhra MPs urge parties not to allow discussion on Telangana Bill
Both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha on Thursday saw ugly scenes from the anti-Telanagana MPs as the Bill to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh and create Telangana was tabled in Parliament. Apart from Rajagopal who used a pepper spray, TDP MP Venugopal Reddy allegedly brandished a knife inside the Lok Sabha.
However, the TDP MP denied that he had a knife with him and instead said that he had snatched a microphone from the Lok Sabha Secretary General which some may have mistaken as a knife.
Within two hours of the most shameful incident in the history of our Parliament, the Speaker suspended 17 MPs from Seemandhra region for today's incident.
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