Lagadapati Rajagopal uses Pepper spray in Lok Sabha

Congress MP Lagadapati Rajagopal Thursday used pepper spray inside the Lok Sabha to disrupt proceedings, following which the house was adjourned till 2 p.m.

High drama took place when union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde rose to table the Telangana bill at noon.

Lagadapati Rajagopal, an MP from Vijaywada, released the pepper spray towards fellow members. The strong, pungent odour triggered coughing among the parliamentarians who rushed out of the house.

Doctors were called and three MPs were taken to hospital. TDP member M. Venugopala broke the speaker's mic.

Though Treasury benches had made arrangements to prevent disturbance by positioning members like Raj Babbar, Azharuddin and Lal Singh near the Well, M Venugopal Reddy (TDP) broke the mike on the Secretary General's table.

Reddy was immediately overpowered by other members by when Rajagopal broke the glass on the Secretary General's table. Soon after, Rajagopal sprayed the pepper spray near the podium causing commotion and coughing.

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TMC veteran Saugata Roy, while feeling choked, was seen trying to control the unruly members in the Well. Soon other members started coughing uncontrollably. Rajagopal was attacked by some members and it was hard time for the watch and ward staff to rescue him and take him to the office of the Speaker.

The smell of the spray was so strong that its impact was felt even outside the House. Rajagopal was expelled from Congress along with five other members from the Seemandhra region only two days back for their persistent defiance on the Telangana issue and even giving notices of no-confidence against the Manmohan Singh government.

Minutes before the fracas broke out, TDP member N Sivaprasad from Seemandhra and M Jagannath of Congress from Telangana, who had almost come to blows yesterday, were seen exchanging pleasantries.