2.17 pm: Decision to bifurcate Telanagana is undemocratic, says Kiran Reddy
Speaking to CNN IBN, former Andhra Pradesh chief minister Kiran Kumar Reddy said the way the Telangana Bill was pushed through the Lok Sabha, was thoroughly undemocratic. "How can they take up a bill, rejected by the Assembly, and then forcibly pass it in Lok Sabha," said Reddy.
Though he didn't defend the behavior of Andhra MPs in LS and RS, he said that the way the Parliament ignored and disrespected the Assembly, he doesn't see a reason why the Parliament should be respected by people.
"What happened yesterday was disgraceful. It is unfortunate that such incidents take place when the world is watching. Beating up AP MPs, expelling them, not allowing them to speak ... what kind of democracy is that?" said Reddy.
"Andhra Pradesh has saved the Congress, have voted them to power several times. From Indira Gandhi's time to the last two polls Congress was voted to power by Andhra. Now the state has been divided by them," said Reddy.
He suggested that several contentious issues like power sharing, water sharing etc will come up now putting the people of Andhra Pradesh in a spot.
1.26 pm: Telanagana Bill to be taken up in Rajya Sabha at 4 pm
Though the Rajya Sabha has been in the grip of chaos all day, the Telangana Bill is all set to be taken up in the upper house of the Indian Parliament at 4 pm today. After the violent scenes that were witnessed today, it is not clear if the house will be allowed to run after the Bill is tabled.
12.12 pm: Ruckus in Rajya Sabha protesting formation of Telangana
While this was not unexpected, mayhem struck the Rajya Sabha today. Seemandhra MPs stormed the well and one of them also heckled the secretary general of the Rajya Sabha when he was trying to read out a statement issued by the LS secretary general on yesterday's black-out. TV visuals showed men holing placards surrounding the speaker and then one of them forcibly wrenching the paper out of the secretary general's hands. The man is shown roughly pushing the secretary general and then yelling at the Speaker.
11.17 am: Andhra CM Kiran Kumar Reddy resigns
And Reddy has announced his resignation.
'I can't continue. I am resigning from the post of CM, MLA and membership of the Congress party. I can't continue in Congress. I thank them for making me CM. But, they betrayed Telugu people", he said.
Reddy also attacked the entire Congress high command including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. "PM said that his heart was bleeding over disruption in Parliament. But, the misery of Telugu people won't cause him pain", he charged, adding that the Telugu people would never forgive the Congress.
This is not the first time that Reddy has made this allegation. The Prime Minister's bleeding heart has been fodder for a lot of barbs, both by anti-Telangana MPs and opposition leaders.
He will shortly call on Andhra Pradesh governor ESL Narasimhan to submit his resignation.
11.10 am: Congress and BJP joined hands to betray Telugu people, says Reddy
Reddy is continuing his tirade against the passage of the Telangana bill by voice vote in the Lok Sabha.
"Injustice has been done to the people. Division of state won't help both the regions. This bill was rejected by the Andhra Pradesh assembly. Even the live telecast was stopped. It was undemocratic. A bill rejected the by the assembly has been passed", he said.
"What kind of democracy is this? Both Congress and BJP joined hands to betray Telugu people. I strongly condemn it", he added.
11.05 am: Reddy slams Congress 'vote bank politics'
Kiran Kumar Reddy has begun his press conference, at which he is expected to resign.
"For seats and votes Telugu people have been divided. I condemn it", he told the assembled media. He also attacked the Congress and said that Telangana was created simply for vote bank politics.
"Every norm has been violated. The bifurcation has been done in a highly undemocratic manner", he added.
11.00 am: Ruckus in Rajya Sabha, house adjourned till noon
All eyes are now on the Rajya Sabha which is expected to take up the Telangana bill that was passed in the Lok Sabha by voice vote yesterday.
But in an ominous sign of things to come, no work was possible amid a din by screaming MPs, forcing Chairman Hamid Ansari to adjourn proceedings till noon.
10.35 am: No tv, no debate in Rajya Sabha, says BJP
The BJP has said that there will be no debate on the bill unless the proceedings are telecast live. The party has taken the stand following an uproar over a contentious decision to black out the live telecast of the passage of the bill in the Lok Sabha.
Speaking to media, BJP spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad said, "We have passed a proposal that blackout was intentionally done. It destroys democratic principles. This raises questions over the function of the Lok Sabha secretariat."
BJP leaders Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley are also expected to bring up the issue of the tv blackout in Parliament. The widely panned decision saw walkouts by the JD(U) and TMC in protest, while MP Dinesh Trivedi said that it was a 'blot on democracy' that was a 'reminder of the emergency'.
The BJP is expected to move several amendments to the Telangana bill that was passed by voice vote in the Lok Sabha yesterday.
10.25 am: Andhra CM Kiran Reddy to announce resignation shortly
Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy is all set to quit in a short while from now. He will shortly address a press conference, at which he is expected to announce his resignation, before formally submitting it to the governor of Andhra Pradesh.
It is widely expected that Reddy will then go on to form a new party, although these reports have not yet been confirmed.
"The whole country says the (Telangana) bill for division is undemocratic. Still, they say that we will go ahead and make the bill win by hook or crook, pass even by voice vote. In this situation, there is a need for a new party. Kiran Kumar Reddy would definitely form a new party and try to keep the state united," state Law Minister Erasu Pratap Reddy had said.
9.47 am: BJP top brass meet over LS blackout
Senior BJP leaders including LK Advani met early this morning to discuss their party's strategy when the Telangana bill comes up in Rajya Sabha today.
According to Times Now, the BJP leaders also discussed the Lok Sabha television blackout and Arun Jaitley is likely to raise the issue in the Upper House.
7.45 am: Bandh in Seemandhra, Kiran Reddy to resign today
The Telangana bill will be taken up by the Rajya Sabha today, after its contentious passage in the Lok Sabha yesterday.
If it is passed, India will officially have its 29th state. But it comes at great cost and bitterness. It has prompted a slew of resignations, and a bandh call in Seemandhra.
The reaction to the development was immediate with central minister D Purandeswari reportedly sending her resignation to Sonia Gandhi.
Three Andhra Pradesh ministers from Seemandhra also resigned in protest while Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy is all set to quit today. He has called a press conference at 10.45 am at which he is expected to announce his resignation, before formally submitting it to the governor of Andhra Pradesh.
Central ministers from Seemandhra hit out at their own party-led government for passing the bill in "undemocratic" manner.
"It is totally undemocratic, immoral and unethical," said Textiles Minister K.S. Rao, who like other ministers from Seemandhra hope that the bill will be stalled in Rajya Sabha. Human Resource Development Minister M.M.Pallam Raju said the bill was passed against all democratic norms.
Another minister K. Chiranjeevi said after the meeting with Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi last night, they hoped that justice would be done to Seemandhra. He said the BJP also disappointed them.
Vijayawada MP L. Rajagopal, who had used pepper spray in Lok Sabha last week to protest tabling of the bill, announced that he is retiring from politics for failing to stop bifurcation.
A bandh has also been called in Seemandhra by the Jaganmohan Reddy led YSR Congress party.
-- end of updates for 18 February --
9.12 pm: Andhra CM Kiran Reddy to resign tomorrow
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy is set to resign tomorrow morning as a result of the fallout because of the Telangana issue.
CNN-IBN reports that the AP CM will submit his resignation to the governor at 11 am tomorrow and will hold a press conference before that at 10.30 am.
7.19 pm: Black-out was a technical glitch, says govt
Following the country-wide uproar caused by the black-out in the Lok Sabha, representatives of the UPA government are now saying that the media was not deliberately kept away from the proceedings of the House and the black-out was a technical glitch. CNN IBN reports that a statement issues by the Lok Sabha said that the black-out was neither intentional and indicates that it wasn't ordered by Speaker Meira Kumar. It was a technical fault.
The statement also said that the proceedings were not held behind closed doors and the press was present in full force. Only the telecast got interrupted due to a technical glitch.
Interestingly, Congress minister Rajeev Shukla had earlier defended the black-out saying speaker Meira Kumar reserved the right to order a blackout if things went out of control. Salman Khursheed also called it the Speaker's prerogative.
IBN Live reports that Mamata Banerjee has questioned the shoddy process in which the Bill was passed. "This is a disaster. Where are all those big leaders who keep on talking. Why didn't they allow a vote on Telangana. How could you pass such an important bill without a vote," she said.
The secretary general of Lok Sabha has reportedly asked the CE of Lok Sabha TV to fix the technical problem by 11 am on Wednesday.
5.40 pm: Sushma Swaraj accuses Congress of playing double game over Telangana
BJP leader Sushma Swaraj suggested that the Congress was possibly not interested in passing the Telangana Bill and wanted to place the blame on the BJP. "I can tell you what their game was. They said they are trying to table the Bill and then their own ministers revolted against them. They had hoped that the din will continue and they will not have to pass the Bill. They would have then said that BJP is responsible for not letting the Bill pass. However, when we declared that we are going to support the Bill, they must have realized that their game was over and hence they hurriedly passed the Bill. On one hand they were telling the Telangana people that they want the Bill passed, on the other hand, they were in talks with the Seemandhra people," said Sushma Swaraj.
"We are happy that we backed the Telangana Bill," said Sushma Swaraj.
5.15 pm: Sushilkumar Shinde's que sera sera moment
Sushilkumar Shinde sounded partially bored and partially resigned when he said that there was no way the Congress could hold back the Telangana Bill. "Sonia Gandhi had promised statehood to Telangana during UPA I itself. It was our duty pass Telangana Bill. We did that. Also, we have promised that Seemandhra will get a financial package. Whichever way it was, the Bill had to be passed. Lets see what happens in future, these things are not new," said Shinde.
4.51 pm: The people of Andhra Pradesh are the biggest losers in this, says L Rajagopal
Expelled Congress MP L Rajagopal, who had sent the country in a tizzy after he threatened to attack colleagues with a pepper spray in Lok Sabha, said the the people of Andhra Pradesh stand to lose the most. He also warned that the creation of Telangana will harm the stable federal structure of the country. "There will be more statehood demands. There will be more internal conflicts within the state," said Rajagopal.
Asked if the Congress stands to lose election ground following the move to muscle its way through the Parliament, Rajagopal said, "Don't know about the Congress, but the people of Andhra Pradesh will have to go through traumatic experiences."
He also declared that the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh has convinced him that he was a misfit in contemporary Indian politics.
4.38 pm: YSR Congress calls for bandh across Andhra Pradesh
YSR Congress chief Jaganmohan Reddy has said that the party has declared a bandh in the state of Andhra Pradesh, calling it a black day in the history of India's democracy.
Today is a black day in the history of this country. We have seen with our own eyes how democracy could be killed in broad daylight. TV channels were shut off, Lok Sabha live telecast was cut off. Doors were closed, people who were to represent the interests of Seemandhra were suspended. The issue was taken up against the will of the assembly, against the will of the people of Andhra Pradesh. Today we have seen that the bill was passed undemocratically. We were not let in the house, but we could hear it. The way the ayes and noes were cleared by the speaker exhibited the way democracy was killed", he said.
4.25 pm: Telangana bill passed by Lok Sabha
The Telangana bill has been passed by the Lok Sabha via voice vote.
A CNN-IBN reporter who was inside the Parliament said that the 67 amendments were passed clause by clause by headcount. Parliament has since been adjourned.
4.18 pm: 40 MPs including 4 ministers in well of house
The latest reports coming in from inside Parliament say that as many as 40 MPs are protesting in the well of the house, against the Telangana decision.
Four union Ministers are amongst them, CNN-IBN reported.
Meanwhile the JD(U) and TMC have walked out in protest at an unprecendented decision to stop the proceedings of the house from being telecast live.
4.00 pm: As bad as emergency, says former Rail Minister Dinesh Trivedi
Calling the decision to stop live proceedings from the Lok Sabha a 'murder of democracy', TMC MP Dinesh Trivedi has said that it was a 'very bad precedent' and was a situation that was worse than democracy.
Trivedi had protested the decision to black out the proceedings by walking out of Parliament. "You can be for Telangana or against Telangana but the people have a right to know what is going on", he said in comments to CNN-IBN.
In voting on amendments when a division of votes is sought, the lobbies have to be cleared of all MPs and all members in their seats to vote on the legislation.
However, Trivedi said that while moving amendments today, the Speaker wasn't seeking a division of votes and going instead by headcount.
3.27 pm: Lok Sabha voting on amendments in Telangana bill
The Lok Sabha is currently voting on as many as 62 amendments to the Telangana bill. The bill is expected to be passed shortly.
In an unprecedented move, the speaker has ordered that the live telecast of Lok Sabha proceedings be stopped. Reports from inside Parliament report however that the bill is being passed amid massive uproar.
3.14 pm: Telangana discussion underway in Lok Sabha
Leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj has said that the BJP is not just supporting the bill, but will also vote for it. Speaking in Parliament during a discussion of the bill. Swaraj had said however, that she "wished Congress had handled this better. Your own CM is in the bill of this house".
Earlier, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde had earlier said that he 'sincerely hoped' that the bill would be passed in Parliament.
In further drama, L Rajagopal, the now notorious Seemandhra MP who used pepper spray in the well of the house last week, was stopped by officials while trying to enter the house just before the debate. He was suspended along with 16 other MPs soon after the incident.
Meanwhile the speaker of the Lok Sabha, Meira Kumar has reportedly ordered that the Lok Sabha telecast be stopped. This is the first time that telecasting of proceedings has stopped in about five years.
2.13 pm: Mayawati says she supports Telangana
And while Modi was condoling with the people of Andhra Pradesh, BSP chief Mayawati today said her party would support the Telangana Bill in Parliament. However while supporting Telangana, she also demanded the further division of Uttar Pradesh into four more states to facilitate better administration and development of the region.
"We support the creation of Telangana and our party will support the Telangana bill that the government is bringing," she told reporters outside Parliament.
Justifying the creation of a separate Telangana state, she said, "Andhra Pradesh is a big state and the Telangana region is mostly inhabited by weaker section of the people and SC and ST people. The region is always neglected. So, there was always a demand for a separate state".
Mayawati added her party always favoured the creation of smaller states.
1.36 pm: Modi slams Sonia, Rahul for Telangana mess
Telangana may be stalled in Parliament for now, but BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi is talking about it, thousands of kilometres away, in Davangere, Karnataka.
"People of Seemandhra need support from us but Congress party doesn't have time for them. People of Andhra put Congress to power but now when they're facing difficulties they can't say a word for them", Modi said, addressing the rally.
His comments come, even as TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu today appealed to Modi to "use his good office" to keep Andhra Pradesh united till an amicable solution is reached on the issue of creation of separate Telangana. "I met Modi. I requested him. They (Congress) are doing all these things. These are all the violations... So you use your good office...You tell our party (to stop it)...," he told reporters.
12.54 pm: Lok Sabha adjourned till 3 pm
Sushil Kumar Shinde tried speaking in vain as the Lok Sabha remained chaotic. Sensing there's little she can do, Meira Kumar adjourned the house again, till 3 pm.
12.10 pm: Shinde asks LS to pass bill without discussion
Parliament convened at noon, but Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde only managed to move the bill for debate, before the house was adjourned again till 12.45pm.
Shinde stood up to introduce Telangana, but the sloganeering just got louder. 'Let's bring order to the house", said speaker Meira Kumar even as the shouting MPs seem to have found a new lease of life. "I already moved the bill... it is to be taken into consideration and passing", he said. This means that he was asking the chairs of the house to pass the bill even without discussion.
What is interesting however, seems to be the fact that it is not the Seemandhra MPs who are blocking any discussions from taking place. According to CNN-IBN, the ruckus has been mostly caused by the AIADMK which wants a resolution against Sri Lanka at the UNHRC meet, and the JD(U) who are demanding a special package for Bihar.
If the bill is to be passed, the UPA will have to talk to these parties first and see if they can come up with a viable floor strategy.
12.05 pm: Lok Sabha begins amid uproar
Lok Sabha has resumed amid similar scenes of turbulence in Parliament, but the speaker seems to be determined to keep procedings going this time.
MPs are currently laying papers on the table, amid sloganeering and shouting. In the Rajya Sabha, placards are being shown in the well of the house.
With just four days to go in this session of Parliament, the last before Lok Sabha elections, if the bill is not passed, it will have to be reintroduced all over again by the next government.
11.35 am: Suspended Seemandhra MPs block gate to Parliament
They may not be able to actually attend proceedings in the Lok Sabha, but that doesn't mean that the suspended Seemandhra MPs are not trying to block the passage of the Telangana bill in Parliament.
CNN-IBN reported that the MPs have parked their cars outside the entrance to Parliament, forcing MPs to walk.
Security has been tightened around Parliament, with the bill expected to be taken up today.
On Thursday, proceedings were disrupted after Seemandhra MP L Rajagopal used pepper spray inside the Lok Sabha. Prior to that Parliament was essentially on suicide watch,
11.28 am: Lok Sabha adjourned amid Telangana uproar
Question hour was a washout yet again, with anti-Telangana MPs disrupting the house, forcing speaker Meira Kumar to adjourn proceedings until noon.
This is also when the Telangana bill is expected to be taken up.
10.48 pm: Will try our best to pass Telangana, says Congress
MoS Parliamentary Affairs Rajeev Shukla has confirmed that the Telangana bill will be brought before Parliament today and said that the party would do its best to pass it.
The Congress will however, have an uphill task to do that.
The party has already issued a whip to all its members asking them to be present in Parliament for the whole of this week and PCC chief Botsa Satyanarayana has reportedly been given the task of ensuring that all Congress MPs stay together even as Congress Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy contemplates a decision to resign.
Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Monday assured central ministers and party MPs from Seemandhra that justice would be done to their region while carving out a separate Telangana state.
The party has also approached the BJP for help in passing the bill. Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde and Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh had asked the BJP for help.
9.20 am: Congress scrambles to keep Andhra MPs together
PCC chief Botsa Satyanarayana has reportedly been given the task of ensuring that all Congress MPs stay together even as Congress Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy contemplates a decision to resign.
CNN-IBN quoting sources, said that Reddy is apprehensive of the support he is likely to get if he launches his own political party, as his number of supporters seems to be dwindling.
This comes on the back of reports that Reddy will resign today.
"The whole country says the (Telangana) bill for division is undemocratic. Still, they say that we will go ahead and make the bill win by hook or crook, pass even by voice vote. In this situation, there is a need for a new party. Kiran Kumar Reddy would definitely form a new party and try to keep the state united," state Law Minister Erasu Pratap Reddy had said.
"We actually decided that we should quit on (February) 16th. But, main opposition BJP says that the bill has not been tabled. Chief Minister is not quitting today to strengthen that. When it is officially announced that the bill has been tabled in parliament, then he will quit and all of us would quit," he said.
9.00 am: BJP to meet and finalise strategy
BJP MPs will meet to discuss their final strategy with regards to the Telangana bill in Parliament.
The party has been maintaining that the bill was never tabled in the house on Thursday.
Meanwhile the government had reached out to the BJP to seek its support in passage of the contentious Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill with Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde wanting the opposition party to spell out its concerns on the issue. Sources said during the meeting in Parliament House where Shinde was accompanied by Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh, BJP asked the government to put its own house in order and address the concerns of the Seemandhra region while cautioning it not to pass the bill amid din and without a discussion.
Among the BJP leaders whom Shinde and Ramesh met were LK Advani, Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley besides M Venkaiah Naidu. The meeting lasted around 40 minutes. The ministers told the BJP leaders that some issues have already been dealt with in the bill and that they will get back on the amendments the government proposed to bring.
8.00 am: Reddy to quit as Congress prepares to pass bill in LS
T-day could finally be upon us, with the Congress planning to pass the Telangana bill in the Lok Sabha today, after having tabled it amid an unprecedented pepper spray attack on Thursday.
The attack, which was carried out by expelled Congress leader L Rajagopal, saw the suspension of 17 Seemandhra MPs in total. The MPs who had been protesting in the well of the house for the last two Parliament sessions, had vowed not to allow the bill to be tabled. Despite the suspensions however, there are still likely to be protests in the well of the house, and plenty of disruptions.
Seemandhra MPs protesting in the well of the house: PTI
And to add to the complications, although the Congress says that Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde tabled the bill, opposition parties including the BJP and TMC insist it was never tabled.
It has been accepted by Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar, but is however, likely to be another issue of contention when Parliament resumes later this morning.
The Congress party's woes however, don't just end there.
Over two dozen MPs from Bihar's ruling Janata Dal-United (JD-U) will stage a dharna in parliament demanding grant of special status to the state, JD-U state president Vashisht Narain Singh Monday said.
"JD-U MPs will put pressure on the central government by staging dharna in the premises of the parliament," Singh said.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has once again linked the grant of special status to development in the hope of JD-U sweeping the state's 40 seats in the next Lok Sabha polls.
Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy is reportedly contemplating resigning from his post against the state's division and launching a new political party.
According to CNN-IBN, Reddy is all set to resign in the next 24 hours and may announce the formation of a new party.
"The whole country says the (Telangana) bill for division is undemocratic. Still, they say that we will go ahead and make the bill win by hook or crook, pass even by voice vote. In this situation, there is a need for a new party. Kiran Kumar Reddy would definitely form a new party and try to keep the state united," state Law Minister Erasu Pratap Reddy had said.
"We actually decided that we should quit on (February) 16th. But, main opposition BJP says that the bill has not been tabled. Chief Minister is not quitting today to strengthen that. When it is officially announced that the bill has been tabled in parliament, then he will quit and all of us would quit," he said.
Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Monday assured central ministers and party MPs from Seemandhra that justice would be done to their region while carving out a separate Telangana state.
Union Minister of State for Finance JD Seelam told reporters after a meeting with Gandhi that they submitted their demands which include making Hyderabad a union territory for a specific period, sharing of revenue of Hyderabad between Telangana and Seemandhra and special packages for north coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions, and hoped these would be considered.
Earlier Monday, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath told reporters, "The Telangana bill will come up for discussion in the Lok Sabha on 18 Februrary," adding those who want to oppose it can do so "in a parliamentary manner".
The minister said Congress president Sonia Gandhi is likely to speak on the issue as well. The Congress has issued a three-line whip to its members to be present in the house on all days of the week to ensure the passage of the Telangana bill.
