It has disrupted at least two session of Parliament, caused the Prime Minister's heart to bleed and prevented Railway Minister Mallikarjun Kharge from delivering his maiden railway budget. But the drama over the creation of Telangana is set to hit a new high today with concerns that MPs may attempt suicide inside Parliament premises to prevent the bill from being tabled today.
Kharge's interim rail budget was disrupted by MPs opposed to the creation of the new state, with some of them even tearing it up and throwing it into the well of the Lok Sabha. Unusually, even ministers in the present UPA government like Pallam Raju and Chiranjeevi, who hail from the region joined the protest in the well of the House.
A final call on the introduction of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill will be taken this morning. The bill is likely to be pushed through by the Centre despite the fact that it has been advised that a constitutional amendment was needed after the law ministry said the bill could be moved in its current form, reported the Hindu.
MPs protesting against the creation of the new state. PTI
If Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde rises to present the bill in the Lok Sabha he could be surrounded by party MPs to prevent opposing MPs from targeting him.
The MPs from Seemandhra region who are opposed to the legislation have already finalised their strategy to disrupt the bill from being pushed through. The BJP, while supporting the bill and the creation of the state, has said that the Congress needs to take note of the projects.
Ministers and MPs from the region, including the six legislators expelled by the Congress, held a meeting on Wednesday night and almost all of them are likely to protest against the introduction of the Bill in the well of the House.
One of the expelled MPs is also expected to move a notice for no-confidence against the UPA government.
An MP claimed that they have already mobilised the support of 37 MPs in the last two days.
According to a report in the Times of India, a serious worry of the Congress government is that some of the protesting MPs could go through with their threats of attempting suicide either in the well of the House or on Parliament premises.
The report points out that since MPs cannot be patted down it has been made sure that CCTVs, metal detectors, and full body scanners are all functional. Fire extinguishers have been kept across the premises, there are additional fire engines and security outside the Parliament building has also been ramped up to prevent MPs from doing anything in Parliament premises.
The government will no doubt be wishing that the Seemandhra MPs would rather emulate Naramalli Sivaprasad of Telugu Desam Party who has in the past reportedly dressed up as Lord Krishna, Santa Claus, Narada, Bhima, Mahatma Gandhi and even a snake-charmer in a bid to convince the government to keep the state together.
While the doctor-turned-actor-turned-MP has come in various unusual avatars to Parliament, the worst he has resorted to is lashing himself with a whip outside the Lok Sabha. The Congress party would happily settle for this level of drama, but unfortunately will have to deal with a lot more if it goes ahead with the contentious legislation.
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