MPs want screening system in Parl after knife brandishing row

New Delhi: After the unprecedented pandemonium marked by fisticuffs, pepper spraying and breaking of mike in Lok Sabha over Telangana issue, several MPs cutting across party lines today advocated a screening system for representatives of people at Parliament gate. Congress MP Sukhinder Reddy said, “There should be a system to prevent MPs carrying these kinds of materials into the House.” [caption id=“attachment_1388627” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. AFP[/caption] Members in the House felt suffocated and were seen coughing after expelled Congress MP L Rajagopal resorted to spraying of pepper to prevent introduction of the bill that provides for bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. M Venugopal Reddy (TDP) first damaged a mike on the table of Secretary General and later snatched papers from the Speaker’s podium, while Rajagopal broke the glass on the table and used the pepper spray. Describing the incidents in Lok Sabha as “unfortunate”, he said, “Government has been changed without bloodshed. Violent method should not be applied in a democracy. This is not good for democracy.” JMM MP Kameswar Baitha said a system like frisking of MPs before entering Parliament should be in place to stop these violent incidents in the House. “Temple of democracy was polluted because of this and the guilty should be punished,” he said. Congress leader Bhakta Charan Das went a step ahead and said this is “terrorist-type” of behaviour and insult to democracy. “Screening of MPs before entering Parliament is necessary after the incident. Some system should be in place at the entrance to screen the MPs,” the Odisha Congress MP said. Terming the incident as “disgusting”, SP MP Jaya Bachchan said the issue of screening MPs needs to be discussed. PTI