Telangana Bill passed in Lok Sabha behind closed doors

New Delhi, Feb 18: After much ruckus, one of the most controversial -

bill was passed in the

through voice votes.

The controversial Telangana Bill was tabled in the Lower House of the Parliament on Tuesday. The T-Bill has been causing rift in the parliament as the legislators from Seemandhra are hell bent on not letting the state bifurcation bill passed.

8.00 pm:

Technical or 'Tactical'? Sushma Swaraj questions speaker's decision to stop Lok Sabha debate telecast.

6.25 pm:

"Technical glitch caused the blackout," said Lok Sabha TV CEO.

"There was a problem so we couldn't show the proceedings on TV," Meira Kumar told NDTV.

6.03 pm:

"A sad day for the entire system," said Union minister Pallam Raju.

5.45 pm:

Minister of State for Railways and West Bengal state Congress chief Adhir Chowdhury defends the decision to pass Telangana Bill in Lok Sabha. The Congress leader said the TMC is against the decision for it is worried over the Gorkhaland issue.

5.30 pm:

"Hyderabad would help Telangana but who would help Seemandhra and Rayalaseema," asked Swaraj, adding there should be a provision for that. She also said that they had no idea that the live telecast was stopped.

"We had always backed Telangana," Swaraj said.

"The Congress fought the 2004 LS polls with the TRS but yet did not act on Telangana during the UPA I's stay in office. It also did not act on the issue for most part of the UPA II. It took up the issue in the

Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj speaks on the Telangana Bill. She criticises the Congress on handling the matter.

5.25 pm:

'Pepper Spray' MP L Rajagopal resigned from Parliament and even decided to quit politics. He sent his resignation letter to Speaker Meira Kumar.

Rajagopal said that the creation of Telangana would harm the federal structure of the country and the people of Andhra Pradesh would go through traumatic experience after this.

5.11 pm:

"All these things would happen but we were committed to Telangana. Our leader had announced our plan to set up Telangana during the UPA I and we had to go to complete our task sincerely," Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said.

"Seemandhra will be given special package," the minister said.

5.06 pm:

Union minister Kamal Nath said the move gave shape to a long-pending dream. He also took a dig at the BJP, saying the latter was adopting a double standard on the Telangana issue.

Another Union minister RPN Singh said if some people wouldn't allow the House to function, then such an important matter needed to be handled like that. "I appeal to the people of India to maintain calm," he said.

4.52 pm:

Veteran BJP leader LK Advani criticises the manner in which the bill was passed in the Parliament. He called it "perversion of democracy". But why did his party decide to back the Telangana bill?

Meanwhile, supporters of Telangana were seen celebrating in Hyderabad.

4.45 pm:

Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav slammed the government over the move of barring telecast and also splitting the state into two. "This move will be counter-productive." Yadav said.

Resignations begin

Resignations of Congress MLAs in Seemandhra have started.

Two AP minister Ganta Srinivas Rao and Erasu Pratap Reddy resigned.

Four MLAs Thota Trimurthulu (Ramachandrapuram, East Godavari district), YU Ramanamurthy Raju (Yelamanchili), Avanthi Srinivas (Bheemili, Visakhapatnam District), Chinthalapudi Venkataramaiah (Gajuwaka, Visakha district) resigned from the Congress party

4.43 pm:

"It is a black day in the history of our country," said YSR Congress leader YS Jaganmohan Reddy, adding that democracy was killed in broad daylight. YSR Congress has called a strike in Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday.

Foreign minister Salman Khurshid said it is a historic development.

4.40 pm:

AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi criticises the act of stopping telecast of the Telangana episode from the Lok Sabha.

JD(U) and TMC MPs walked out of the Parliament in protest.

4.10 pm:

TMC objects to Speaker Meira Kumar's move to stop telecast of debate on Telangana Bill.

Suspended MPs try to enter House shouting slogans. Marshals stop them.

4.00 pm:

Sharad Yadav to address media on Telangana bill.

Sonia Gandhi leaves Parliament House, Congress MP Ponnam Prabhakar touched her feet when she left.

3.55 pm:

CPM MPs in the well, Trinamool objects to manner of Bill's passage, Saugata Roy asked for division of votes. The amendment to make #Hyderabad capital of #Telangana has been defeated by voice vote in Lok Sabha.

3:25 pm

Lok Sabha passes Telangana Bill through voice vote.

3:17 pm

Lok Sabha begins discussion on Telangana Bill but proceedings are not being telecasted as per Speaker's orders. Opposition party leader Sushma Swaraj said in the House that her party will back the Bill.

Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde has said that Seemandhra will get special financial package.

3:09 pm

According to sources, it has been decided that those in well of the House will be considered not to have participated during Telangana Bill discussion.

3:05 pm

Sushma Swaraj, in a meeting with the Speaker said, "We are for Telangana Bill but must be given a chance to speak"

3:00 pm

Telugu Desam Party chief Chandrababu Naidu arrives in Parliament to witness proceedings in Lok Sabha as government prepares to push through Telangana Bill

2:45 pm

According to NDTV, speaker has asked Lok Sabha Secretariat to be ready to pass Telangana Bill in din. A division of votes is likely to take place through slips, not the electronic button.

2:45 pm

Mayawati says Bahujan Samajwadi Party will support Telangana Bill in parliament.

2:00 pm

According to NDTV, Andhra Pradesh minister Srinivasa Rao resigned.

1:05 pm

In a last ditch effort, Telugu Desam Party chief Chandrababu Naidu appealed to Narendra 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.

1:00 pm

Andhra Pradesh law minister Pratap Reddy said that AP chief minister Kiran Kumar Reddy will resign today and will float a new party soon. Kiran might submit his resignation by 3 pm today.

12:45 pm

Lok Sabha adjourned

12:38 pm

Telangana bill moved for consideration and passage in Lok Sabha amid ruckus. Home minister Sushin Kumar Shinde moved the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill 2014 for consideration in the house even though ministers and MPs from Seemandhra region were in the Well opposing bifurcation of the state. Also, Shinde recommended passing Bill without discussion.

12:00 pm

Rajya Sabha adjourned till 2 pm after MPs opposing the Telangana Bill raised slogans and disrupted the proceedings.

11:00 pm

After last week's pepper spray incident, riot police have been deployed near the parliament. MPs have had to walk to the Parliament building with the main entrance blocked for vehicles. Their bags are being checked and they have been barred from filming videos or taking photos in the house.

10:00 am

Sources say that the Bill will be taken for discussion in Lok Sabha at 2:30pm

8:00 am

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday morning cancelled parliamentary party meet on Telangana Bill and informed that a smaller group of top party leaders will discuss the Bill strategy instead.

The BJP has moved 33 amendments in the Bill and have said that the concerns of leaders from Telangana should be discussed before passing the Bill.

Last week, a Seemandhra MP used pepper spray in the House to disrupt the Bill presentation. The Congress MPs from the region have also threatened to quit the party if the new state is formed.

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Meanwhile, sources say that Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy may resign in protest today and form a new party.