The much-awaited Telangana Bill was not taken up in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday due to repeated disruptions and an unprecedented scene when a TDP member tried to snatch documents from the Secretary General and jostled with him.
The unsavory incident took place soon shortly after noon when Secretary General Shumsher K Sheriff got up to read out a message from the lok Sabha most probably related to the Telangana Bill. TDP member CM Ramesh, who was standing besides the Secretary General in the Well to protest against the Bill, then tried to snatch the documents from the official.
Sheriff tried to ward-off Ramesh and there was a bit of jostling in which the Secretary General was also trying to save his spectacles from falling down. Taken aback by this behaviour, Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien asked the MP to back-off and marshals rushed to save Sheriff.
But Ramesh and his party colleague YS Chowdhary, who was also in the Well, kept shouting against the passage of the Telangana Bill in lok Sabha and maintaining that it was done in an unconstitutional manner.
A visibly angry Kurien said, “This is very unfortunate. The Chair should not be attacked. Keep your hands-off. What you are doing is very unfortunate.” He adjourned the proceedings till 2.00 pm.
Earlier, Chairman Hamid Ansari had adjourned the house for one hour when it met for the day at 11.00 am and anti-Telangana supporters along with SP members raised slogans and came into the Well.
When the House reassembled at 2.00 pm Kurien referred to the incident and said Ramesh’s action was “highly deplorable and unbecoming of the member,” adding it amounted to breach of privilege of the House. The TDP member regretted his action and said it was not intentional but only emotional.
“I regret this and am feeling sorry....I apologise for this incident,” he said. Kurien then said he was proposing to take action which he has now decided to drop following the apology.