Telangana Bill moved and passed in Lok Sabha Tuesday Feb 18,2014

Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde moved the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill 2014 for consideration even though ministers and MPs from Seemandhra region were in the Well opposing bifurcation of the State.

Three minutes after Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde began the proceedings for discussing and passing the bill, the live telecast of Lok Sabha was cut off. The doors and galleries were sealed.

Speaker Meira Kumar told that the telecast was stopped due to a problem. "There was a problem, so we couldn't show the live telecast," she said. The Lok Sabha secretariat later called it a 'technical glitch'. Senior Congress leader Jaipal Reddy defended the blackout, saying a large section of media did witness the proceedings from the galleries

Sixteen members from the region, belonging to Congress, TDP and YSR Congress, were suspended from the House last Thursday, till February 20, after unprecedented pandemonium that saw expelled Congress member L. Rajagopal bursting pepper spray causing commotion. 

For the first time, CPI (M) members also joined the protest against creation of Telangana carrying placards opposing bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh and demanding that the measure should not be adopted without a debate. 

Speaker Meira Kumar tried to bring order in the House saying she has received notices of no-confidence motion and wanted to ascertain whether these are backed by 50 MPs. As the din continued, she adjourned the House till 1245 hours.

 As the proceedings in the House resumed, there were uproar again over the formation of Telangana State which forced her to adjourn the Loka Sabha again till 3 p.m.

In an unprecedented move, live telecast of Parliament proceedings was stopped as the Lok Sabha passed the controversial bill that seeks to create a Telangana state by dividing Andhra Pradesh.

The bill is passed by the Lok Sabha with voice vote amid din at 4.20 P.M

The bill was passed unanimously, with the support of the main opposition BJP, but the party says it was not aware of the TV blackout.

Timeline of Telangana

1948: Indian Army annexes princely state of Hyderabad, which comprised different regions including Telangana.

1950: Telangana became Hyderabad State.

1952: First elections held in Hyderabad State.

Nov 1, 1956: Telangana merged with Andhra State, which was carved out of Madras State, to form Andhra Pradesh, a united state for Telugu—speaking people.

1969: ‘Jai Telangana’ movement for separate statehood to Telangana began. Over 300 people killed in police firing.

1972: ‘Jai Andhra’ movement began in coastal Andhra for separate Andhra State.

1975: Presidential order issued to implement Six Point Formula, providing some safeguards to Telangana.

1997: BJP supported demand for Telangana state; in 1998 election, it promised ‘one vote two states’

2001: K. Chandrasekhara Rao floated Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) to revive Telangana movement.

2004: TRS fought elections in alliance with Congress, wins five Lok Sabha and 26 assembly seats. UPA includes Telangana issue in common minimum programme.

2008: TDP announced support for Telangana demand.

2009: TRS contested elections in alliance with TDP but its tally came down to two Lok Sabha and 10 assembly seats.

Sep 2: Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy died in helicopter crash, triggering political uncertainty.

Oct 2009: Chandrasekhara Rao began fast—unto—death for Telangana state.

Dec 9: Centre announced decision to initiate the process for formation of Telangana state.

Dec 23: Following protests in Rayalaseema and Andhra regions (Seemandhra) and en mass resignations of MPs and state legislators, centre put the process on hold citing need for consensus.

Feb 3, 2010: Centre set up five—member Srikrishna committee to look into Telangana issue.

Dec 2010: Srikrishna committee submitted its report, suggested six options

July 30, 2013: UPA coordination panel and Congress Working Committee decided to carve out Telangana state. Protests in Seemandhra.

Oct 3, 2013: Union cabinet approved the proposal to divide Andhra Pradesh. A Group of Ministers (GoM) was constituted to prepare the roadmap after consultations with all stakeholders.

Oct 25, 2013: Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy raised banner of revolt against Congress leadership. He wrote letters to president and prime minister urging them to stop bifurcation process.

Dec 5, 2013: Union cabinet approved draft Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill 2013 prepared on the basis of recommendations by the GoM. Bill sent to President Pranab Mukherjee with a request to make a reference to Andhra Pradesh legislature to obtain its views under Article 3 of the Constitution.

Dec 9: The President gave time till Jan 23 to the state legislature to give its views.

Dec 12, 2013: Bill brought to Hyderabad in a special aircraft and amid tight security.

Dec 16, 2013: Bill introduced in both houses of state legislature amid clashes between Seemandhra and Telangana lawmakers.

Jan 8, 2014: After disruptions for several days, debate finally began on the bill in assembly and council.

Jan 21, 2014: State government sought four more weeks to debate the bill. The President gave one week.

Jan 27, 2014: Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy gave notice to assembly speaker for a resolution to reject the bill.

Jan 30, 2014: Amid ruckus, both houses of state legislature passed by a voice vote official resolutions, rejecting the bill and appealing to the President not to send the bill to parliament.

Feb 5, 2014: Chief minister staged sit—in in Delhi to oppose bifurcation.

Feb 7, 2014: Union cabinet cleared the bill and rejected Seemandhra leaders’ demand to make Hyderabad a union territory. Bill sent to the President for his approval to table it in parliament.

Feb 11, 2013: Congress expelled six MPs from Seemandhra for moving no—confidence motion against government.

Feb 13, 2014: Bill introduced in Lok Sabha amid clashes between MPs from Seemandhra and Telangana. L. Rajagopal, a MP from Seemandhra, used pepper spray in the house. Speaker suspended 16 MPs including Rajagopal for rest of the session.

Feb 18, 2014: Lok Sabha passes Telangana bill without discussion by voice vote

Here are some reactions: 

• First time in my experience that you shut down live telecast and keep country in the dark.
  Venkaiah Naidu, BJP
• I have never witnessed such a scene. It's beyond my 'bardash' (tolerance). I couldn't sit and decided to walk out. We decided that we cannot be part of such a division.
  Sharad Yadav, JD (U)
• I am more sad then angry. Today democracy has come to a standstill. Point is people of this country - 1.2 billion people - have a right to listen to the discussion. Spirit of democracy has been killed. Speaker is the custodian of democracy.
  Dinesh Trivedi, Trinamool Congress
• Stopping Loksabha telecast was an extreme step as bad as pepper spray.We couldn't believe it in Rajya Sabha Ghettoised ,guilt ridden mindset
  Tarun Vijay, BJP
• A bill was introduced in the House without anybody to say Yes or No. The bill was introduced undemocratically. It was done against the will of the people of Andhra Pradesh...democracy was killed in broad daylight.
  Jagan Mohan Reddy, YSR Congress
• Congress wants to divide the country. The Telangana bill was passed in chaos.
  Mulayam Singh Yadav, Samajwadi Party
  
  
  "Today our Seemandhra and Telangana brothers need healing for the pain inflicted by Congress, but they (Sonia and Rahul Gandhi) don't have time to speak a few words of healing touch to them," BJP's prime ministerial hopeful Narendra Modi said at a rally in Karnataka shortly after the passage of the bill in Lok Sabha.