As the UPA Government gears up for passage of the Telangana Bill in Parliament this week, parliamentarians will keep their fingers crossed on Monday when both the Houses resume three days after the pepper spraying incident in lok Sabha.
With Seemandhra Ministers insisting on disrupting the House, the Committee on Security in Parliament will meet on Monday to discuss frisking of MPs among other stringent security measures. At the same time, late Sunday evening, lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar referred the matters relating to incidents of pepper spraying and alleged knife wielding action inside the House to the Committee of Privileges of lok Sabha for examination and report.
The statement of Union Textiles Minister KS Rao that Union Ministers would block the Telangana Statehood Bill in Parliament has given nightmares to the Congress’ floor managers. “I will block the Bill. I am a Minister but I am also an MP and accountable to my constituents. Other Ministers from the region may follow me,” he said. HRD Minister Pallam Raju too has been vocal against the Centre’s decision and he may rebel against the party leadership.
The Parliament Security Committee will examine all security-related matters, including means to prevent bringing of dangerous and life-threatening material into the Chamber of the House by MPs. “The pros and cons of various security measures that should be adopted will be considered in detail by the Committee,” an official announcement had said earlier without elaborating on the mechanism to be adopted.
Kumar has directed the Committee, headed by Deputy Speaker Karia Munda, to hold a meeting to consider Thursday’s events which saw expelled Congress member l Rajagopal using pepper spray to prevent introduction of the Telangana Bill in the lok Sabha. “We really have a difficult task at hand. We took proper care after the terror strike in Parliament on December 13 a decade back so that such incidents do not recur. But what can one do when a family member himself tries to set the house on fireIJ” said a member of the Committee on Security. MPs are exempted from frisking with special provisions that allow them to bypass the metal detectors and walk straight in.
After the 2001 terror attack, Parliament’’s security was scaled up several times. High-security gadgets and metal detectors were installed and the most capable personnel from the police and paramilitary forces deployed to guard the building. Starting from stationery to eatables to furniture, everything is checked before being allowed in.
Kumar has also referred the matters relating to incidents to the Committee of Privileges of lok Sabha for examination and report. This has been done under Rule 227 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in lok Sabha, where a question of privilege is referred to the Committee by the Speaker under Rule 227, before the report of the Committee is presented to the Speaker.
The Privileges Committee of lok Sabha, with PC Chacko as Chairman, consists of 15 members nominated by the Speaker. Its function is to examine every question involving breach of privilege or contempt of the House or of the members of any Committee thereof referred to it by the House or by the Speaker. It determines with reference to the facts of each case whether a breach of privilege or contempt of the House is involved and makes suitable recommendations in its report.
The Committee of Privileges is the Committee which has the powers to recommend punitive measures. The punitive measures include imprisonment and even expulsion, among others. The Speaker had named 16 members who stood automatically suspended from the service of the House for five consecutive sittings of the House from February 13, 17, 18, 19 and 20 under Rule 374A, in the wake of the incidents.
A Congress member from Telangana Ponnam Prabhakar has already complained to the Speaker for initiating criminal action against Rajagopal and TDP member Venugopal Reddy. Prabhakar said he will file a complaint with Parliament Street Police Station. Beefing up of security is needed to ensure order in the House because the BJP has already set that it would back the Bill only after proper debate. Now, Union Minister Jairam Ramesh has also said that it (Centre) should not rush the proposed legislation amidst the “cacophony” in Parliament.
“Surely, I would be the first to argue that such a far-reaching Bill should be discussed in Parliament, should be debated and should not be pushed through in a cacophony when protests of a violent nature are taking place,” Ramesh said in an interview to a news channel. Ramesh, a key member of the GoM on Telangana, said he had articulated his position on the issue at party meetings as well.
The two sides of the regional divide in Andhra Pradesh have also stepped up efforts in support of their respective agendas. While YSR Congress is organising a protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on Monday against the division of Andhra Pradesh, another forum led by the Andhra Pradesh Non-Gazetted Officers (APNGOs) Association, would also be organising protests this week at Ramlila Maidan. Party leaders and supporters have left Hyderabad for the national Capital in two trains from different parts of the State. Andhra Pradesh Bhavan in Delhi has been the venue for many a protest and clashes over the contentious issue during the last couple of weeks.