New Delhi:
The bill to create Telangana will be taken up for discussion in the Lok Sabha tomorrow, the government today announced as the BJP warned against passing the proposal in the din of protests, without addressing the concerns of all regions of Andhra Pradesh.
The main opposition party has become the focus of all efforts to stall the move, with five union ministers and YSR Congress leader Jagan Mohan Reddy reaching out to the BJP.
Here are the latest updates on this story:
The BJP told Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde that the government should not try to pass the Telangana bill in chaos. "Crucial bills need proper debate," BJP leaders said and asked the Centre to address concerns of Seemandhra, or the non-Telangana region that is strongly opposing bifurcation.
Declaring that the bill would be taken up tomorrow, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath said "those who want to oppose can do so in a parliamentary manner."
This morning, five central ministers from Andhra Pradesh, including Chiranjeevi, Pallam Raju and Purandeswari, met senior BJP leader LK Advani and urged the main opposition party to oppose the bill.(Live Blog)
Jagan Mohan Reddy, who sat on protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi today, also reached out to the BJP. "We will support anyone who helps us keep Andhra Pradesh united and Narendra Modi is not an exception," Mr Reddy told NDTV. (read: highlights of Jagan Reddy's interview)
Last week, protests against Telangana led to some of the worst scenes ever witnessed in Indian Parliament with an expelled Congress MP, L Rajagopal, using pepper spray on his colleagues in the Lok Sabha and other MPs yanking mics, and breaking a computer. 16 MPs were suspended for the violence on Thursday. (read: MPs shame India, vandalize Parliament)
The violence began just as the Home Minister introduced the Telangana Bill. The BJP and the Left have criticised the manner in which the bill was introduced..
Eight trainloads of people from Andhra Pradesh, including government employees from Seemandhra, have arrived in Delhi to participate in protests against Telangana. Three key metro stations were shut till evening due to security concerns in the most protected VIP zone in the heart of the city.
Anti-Telangana MPs also protested while Finance Minister P Chidambaram presented his interim budget, the last before the national election, in Parliament. The protests forced the Rajya Sabha to adjourn.
The Centre has five days to pass the bill that will create India's 29th state. The ruling Congress hopes to reap electoral dividends from Telangana in the national election, due by May, but is facing opposition from its leaders in the residuary region, Seemandhra, including Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy.
Seemandhra is worried about a smaller share of water, power and revenue from Telangana once the new state is created.
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