Centre firm on Telangana bill after pepper spray attack

The Lok Sabha was full of mayhem on Thursday with the tabling of Telangana state formation and Andhra Pradesh bifurcation bill.

Videos of Lok Sabha members coughing and sneezing while holding scarves against their faces were aired as a member of parliament has used pepper spray can to protest against the bill. Some members even broke a glass table as a protest and some snapped the mic of deputy speaker.

A Doctor and an ambulance were rushed to treat some members of parliament who were having coughing fits. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath said that the incidents that took place in the house are a big blot on the Indian democracy. He felt ashamed that such an incident has taken place in the parliament.

As Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde rose to table the bill for Andhra Pradesh bifurcation, a member of parliament from Andhra Pradesh Lagadapati Rajagopal, unleashed the pepper spray. In the past Rajagopal was suspended from the ruling Congress party due to his opposition for the formation of the new state.

Jaswant Singh from BJP said that it is a disgraceful situation. After the commotion, the speaker suspended 17 members of parliament. Several MPs advocated for a screening system in place to prevent carrying such things in the Parliament.