12.50 pm: Bandh calls again in Seemandhra
Government employees in Seemandhra have once again announced an indefinite shutdown of services. This comes after months of repeated shutdowns, strikes, blockades, which have dealt a critical blow to business in the region. Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra's government offices remained closed on Thursday even as the region's MPs and MLAs protested in New Delhi against the creation of Telangana.
The Andhra Pradesh Non-Gazetted Officers' (APNGOs) Association has claimed that over 400,000 employees are participating in the strike in 13 districts, reported Business Standard. The demand of the government employees is that the bill for the creation of Telangana not be tabled in this session of Parliament.
In Seemandhra, it's now back to sit-ins outside the temple in Tirupati, ahuman chain elsewhere, shutdown of government-run transport services. In 2013, blockade in which employees and teachers had participated lasted almost two months. A bandh has now been called for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
12.10 pm: LS adjourned till tomorrow
Lok Sabha transacted business briefly, for 12 minutes to be precise, before adjourning until tomorrow. Rajya Sabha will resume at 2 pm. In both houses, the uproar over Telangana continues.
In Lok Sabha, protesting members were holding placards in the well of the house while others were shouting 'Save Andhra Pradesh' slogans.
12:00 noon: Both houses resume, business continues in LS amid din of shuting MPs
Rajya Sabha is adjourned once again, this time for two hours. In Lok Sabha, amid a storm of Seemandhra region MPs shouting, business is being transacted.
Meanwhile, the Telugu Desam Party, whose MPs protested outside Parliament yesterday, have given notice for a no-trust motion against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. This is perhaps less embarrassing for the Congress than the fact that its own MPs from Seemandhra have also sought a no-confidence motion.
11.20 am: Backroom calculations continue, rift within TDP possible over support to bill
On Wednesday, TDP MP from Khammam Nama Nageshwara Rao met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Rao reportedly conveyed the message that the TDP's two MPs from Telangana would welcome and support the bill if it is introduced in Parliament. TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu has held the opinion until now that the interests of the Seemandhra regions must be taken into account even though the creation of Telangana is welcome.
Besides Nageshwara Rao, the other TDP MP from Telangana is Ramesh Rathod from Adilabad. There would be some fissures within the TDP if the duo supports the bill in Parliamen.t
Besides Rao and Rathod, other former MLAs, ministers and leaders of the TDP, all from Telangana, also met the PM to convey their support to the bill.
Meanwhile, BJP leader Kirti Azad called the protest by leaders of Telangana and Seemandhra "disruptive".
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>'Dramebaaz' Con-'G' CM of Andhra sits on dharna against Telangana, inside Parl'ment, MP's protest. Who is disruptive? Noora Qusti continues.</p>— Kirti Azad (@KirtiAzadMP) <a href="https://twitter.com/KirtiAzadMP/statuses/431286429625225216">February 6, 2014</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
11.06 am: The reactions until now.
Union Minister Kamal Nath, speaking outside Parliament, said the dilemma of the statehood demand and the protests against the creation of a new state cannot be tackled easily. "You cannot wish it away, you cannot sweep it under the carpet. It has to be debated and voted upon in Parliament," he said.
BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said: "The chief minister of Andhra Pradesh is sitting on dharna. This is unheard of. The Delhi chief minister started with that antic and now it's being followed by Congress CMs. This is never done."
The Shiv Sena agreed that the protests were unseemly, but Sena MP Sanjay Raut added: "Those who talk of dividing states are betraying the country."
11.00 am: Both houses adjourned, president to meet Telangana leaders
Minutes after the start of session on Thursday, both houses of Parliament had to be adjourned amid loud protests from Seemandhra region MPs. Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha both adjourned until 12 noon.
It now appears that the Group of Ministers who cleared the draft bill on the creation of Telangana will meet again this afternoon in the face of continued opposition to the bifurcation of the state. More amendments, with an eye on making the right noises by the people of the Seemandhra regions, will be made to the bill.
Meanwhile, President Pranab Mukherjee is expected to meet MPs from Telangana at 3 pm today. He will also meet the protesting MPs from Seemandhra at 6 pm.
10.45 am: More amendments to T-bill, Kiran Kumar Reddy on dharna
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister has made it clear to his bosses in the Congress party that he will oppose the proposed bifurcation of the state for the creation of the state of Telangana even if it means disciplinary action against him.
The YSR COngress's JaganmOhan Reddy has upped the ante against the Congress party too.
Police remove Telangana MLAs and MLCs who were obstructing the bus of AP CM N Kiran Kumar Reddy near AP Bhavan in New Delhi on Wednesday. PTI
The final session of Parliament before Lok Sabha elections this summer has perhaps become the anti-telangana protestors' biggest platform, with demonstration outside Parliament, at Jantar Mantar and in parts of Andhra Pradesh.
Clearly nervous and with the political gains still unclear, the Congress top brass has blinked first -- the bill is not likely to be taken up by the Union Cabinet of ministers today, though there is no indication whether its anticipated introduction in Parliament on Mondya, 10 February will also be deferred. More amendments are to be made in the draft, though a Group of Ministers already okayed the draft on Tuesday. The GoM may now revisit the draft bill, sources told CNN-IBN.
Regardless, protests against the proposed bifurcation of the state are expected to grow to a crescendo today.
The latest delay could be some sort of appeasement for Seemandhra MPs even as discontent within the Congress threatens the party's prospects in the coming elections.
The bill is being brought before the Cabinet despite legislators of Andhra Pradesh rejecting it last week. The Andhra Pradesh Assembly's feedback is, however, not binding on the Centre, the referral to the state itself being only a Constitutional requirement and a formality.
"The party has become a hostage to the divisive forces. The problem is if we quit Congress, nothing is going to stop. We want to tell the party leadership that whatever they are doing is not correct. It will harm everyone," Congress MP Lagadapati Rajagopal told CNN-IBN during a panel discussion, giving the Seemandhra perspective. Rajagopal is from the Congress faction that wants to keep Andhra Pradesh united. Reddy also urged President Pranab Mukherjee to "use his powers" to stop the creation of Telangana. reddy met Mukherjee on Wednesday afternoon. The Congress party appears keen to have the bill passed during the current session of Parliament, the last before elections, in order to make way for still-unclear electoral gains in Telangana.
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