Monsoon Session: T MPs Skip Day 1

The Congress was left red-faced with embarrassment after 10 of its own MPs from Telangana (9 Lok Sabha members and one Rajya Sabha member) stayed away from the first day of the Monsoon Session of the Parliament, which began on Monday.

The 10 MPs' decision to skip the Parliament Session came a day after the High Command, through its representative in the form of party In-Charge For Andhra Pradesh Affairs Ghulam Nabi Azad, made futile attempts to get them to attend the Session.

Azad had called up K Kesava Rao twice on Sunday, once each to Telangana Congress Steering Committee co-chairmen Kesava Rao and K Jana Reddy, asking them to ensure that the MPs do attend the opening day of the Monsoon Session.

However, the MPs had rejected Azad's persuasive attempts, and, instead, said they would continue to work for the creation of a separate Telangana state.

Karimnagar MP Ponnam Prabhakar told media persons that the MPs will not attend the Session since their only demand was a "separate Telangana state".

The Congress will further continue its attempts to get its MPs to attend Parliament during their meeting with Azad, scheduled for Monday evening.

Incidentally, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had told media persons on Sunday, "We will overcome the resignations issue."

Legislators from Telangana, cutting across party affiliations, had tendered their resignations en masse from July 4 to show their loyalty towards the demand of a separate Telangana.

However, a decision on the MPs' resignations has not been taken yet. Assembly Speaker Nadendla Manohar has already rejected the resignations of the MLAs of his party. (INN)