Telangana Bill LIVE: Lok Sabha clears Telangana, Jagan says black day in history of India

The Lok Sabha has passed the Telangana Bill while voting is underway on amendments.

Here are the latest updates:

4:39 pm: MIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi says bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh unconstitutional.

4:37 pm: The Lok Sabha live telecast was cut off, doors were closed. Seemandhra MPs were suspended. The issue was taken up against the will of Assembly: Jaganmohan Reddy.

4:32 pm: Today is a black day in history of this country. We have seen how democracy can be killed in broad daylight: Jagan Reddy.

4:30 pm: There is no scope of speaking in the House. We wanted to speak but it is not possible. We have not seen such a division of state. We can't bear this so we have decided to walk out: Sharad Yadav.

4:28 pm: MPs, who stepped out of the House, have said this:

Head count being used as a means for deciding numbers during the voting on Telangana Bill amendments.

Remaining Seemandhra MPs are shouting in the Well of the House.

They said these amendments have not been accepted:-

1) Two governors be immediately appointed for the two states.

2) Two High Courts be immediately set up for the two states.

These will be provided after 10 years once Hyderabad ceases to be joint capital of the two states.

3) Mentioning of a financial package in the Bill.

4:26 pm: BJP MP Tarun Vijay tweets: "Stopping Lok Sabha telecast was an extreme step as bad as pepper spray. We couldn't believe it in Rajya Sabha Ghettoised, guilt ridden mindset."

4:22 pm: Black day for Seemandhara, says Seemandhara MPs.

4:21 pm: Sad day for democracy, says Trinamool Congress.

4:17 pm: JDU and Trinamool Congress walk out of Lok Sabha over Telangaba Bill. 

4:08 pm: Demand for two governors and two high courts dropped during voting on Telangana Bill amendments. Financial package agreed to but amount not fixed. Seemandhra members in the Well of the House.

4:00 pm: Killi Kruparani, K.S. Rao and Chiranjeevi move to the Well of the House along with CPI-M, Shiv Sena, AIADMK and BJD members.

3:52 pm: Congress spokesperson in Andhra Pradesh says more than 60 MLAs, including 6-7 MPs, 3-4 central ministers and 10 ministers, are in discussion with Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy. He is committed to his resignation. He will use all methods to stop this bifurcation.

3:49 pm: The Bill passed in Lok Sabha was the one sent to the Andhra Pradesh Assembly.  

3:47 pm: Telangana Bill passed at voice vote. Voting on amendments on the Bill continues. 

3:44 pm: Telangana erupts in joy. Crackers fired in different localities of Hyderabad.

3:38 pm: Lok Sabha adopts Telangana Bill.

Sushilkumar Shinde, Sushma Swaraj and S. Jaipal Reddy were the only three to take part in the discussion that lasted less than twenty minutes.

3:35 pm: Speaker suspends Lok Sabha TV telecast, voting underway on Telangana Bill amendments.

2:22 pm: Andhra CM Kiran Kumar Reddy likely to quit tomorrow over Telangana.

2:15 pm: Andhra Pradesh Infrastructure minister G Sinivasa Rao has resigned from the Congress party.

1:50 pm: BJP's PM candidate Narendra Modi on Tuesday accused Congress President Sonia Gandhi and party vice-president Rahul Gandhi of ignoring Seemandhra.

12:52 pm: Congress minister Kamal Nath meets Advani to break deadlock over Telangana Bill. 

12:50 pm: BJP leader LK Advani says he has asked the government not to pass the Bill amid chaos. 

12:39 pm: Security forces told to scan the Central Hall of Parliament.

12:33 pm: Security breach reported inside Parliament after a Seemandhra MP is seen entering the House with a suspicious looking object.

If you are not near a TV to catch the Telangana tussle, watch it LIVE here

12:19 pm: Lok Sabha adjourned till 12: 45 pm.

12:17 pm: Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde moves amendments to the Bill. Speaker asks members to calm down.

12:11 pm: Rajya Sabha adjourned again.  

12:10 pm: BJP indicates its willingness to support the Telangana Bill but says the economic package for Seemandhra must satisfy the party.

12:09 pm: Disruption continues in Lok Sabha.

12.08 pm: Kiran Kumar Reddy may float a new party after quitting, says Andhra Law Minister E. Pratap Reddy.

12.07 pm: Kiran Kumar Reddy will resign as the chief minister today, Andhra Pradesh Law Minister E. Pratap Reddy says.

12.06 pm: Police ask protestors to leave Vijay Chowk. Police also push away some protestors.

12.05 pm: Sessions resume in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

12 pm: Delhi Police say Telangana protestors might burn cars or attempt suicide. 

11:45 am: BJP seeks amendments to Telangana Bill

11:25 am: The Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha were adjourned till noon.

The adjournment came amid protests by members against the tabling of the Telangana Bill and several other issues. A few Rajya Sabha members were seen holding placards that said: "Save Andhra Pradesh" and "We want united Andhra Pradesh."

The parliament saw disruptions on Monday too while the Vote on Account was being presented by Finance Minister P. Chidambaram.

Last week, an expelled Congress MP used pepper spray in the Lok Sabha to stop the tabling of the Telangana Bill.

Telangana Bill moved in Lok Sabha

Unfazed by vociferous protests, the government on Tuesday moved the controversial Telangana Bill for consideration and passage in the Lok Sabha.

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.

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. They were carrying placards opposing bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh and demanding that the measure should not be adopted without a debate.

Members from Telangana region were also in the Well seeking early creation of the separate State. The Home Minister moved the Bill for consideration amid uproar and din in the House over various issues. Members belonging to various parties were also demanding passage of reservation in promotions and SC/ST sub-plan bill.

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.

FM meets Sushma, Jaitley on Insurance, DTC Bills

 
Keen to get key reforms bills passed, Finance Minister P Chidambaram has reached out to opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to get Parliament approval for the long-awaited Insurance Bill and Direct Taxes Code Bill (DTC) in the Winter session that began on Thursday.

"I met Sushma Swaraj Thursday to discuss the Insurance Bill. BJP said they will consider the bill," Chidambaram said on the sidelines of a function to inaugurate the registered office of Bharatiya Mahila Bank in New Delhi.

Sources said Chidambaram met Swaraj, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha (Lower house of Parliament), and her Rajya Sabha (Upper house of Parliament) counterpart Arun Jaitley to discuss the two bills.

However, BJP has not given any assurance of support and conveyed to the Finance Minister that the matter will be discussed within the party and take a call, sources said.

The government is keen on increasing the FDI cap in the insurance sector.

The Manmohan Singh dispensation wants to increase the FDI limit to invite more foreign investment and give a boost to the economy.

There is a broad agreement on the Direct Taxes Code Bill between the government and BJP, but they differ on some aspects. BJP is firm that unless the differences are sorted out the party will not support the Bill.

The Left parties too are opposed to the Insurance Bill and the Direct Taxes Code (DTC) Bill.

The Insurance Bill which seeks to raise the foreign direct investment ceiling in the insurance sector to 49 per cent has been with the Rajya Sabha since 2008. The Cabinet had approved it again in October 2012.

The Standing Committee on Finance had, however, suggested that the cap should be kept at 26 per cent.

The government is now understood to be considering a proposal to raise the FDI cap to 49 per cent without an increase in voting rights.

Market sentiments improve, Sensex surges over 200 points

SI Reporter in Mumbai

Benchmark indices have closed higher, amid volatile trading session led by FMCG and IT shares.

Meanwhile, the Centre's fiscal deficit ballooned to almost 63% of Budget Estimates for 2013-14 in just first four months of the year.

The deficit stood at Rs 3.40 lakh crore (Rs 3.4 trillion) in April-July period, which was 62.8% of Rs 5.42 lakh crore pegged in the Budget, according to data released by the Controller General of Accounts (CGA).

The 30-share Sensex ended up 219 points at 18,620 and the 50-share Nifty ended up 63 points at 5,472.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said that the rupee's tumble is a "matter of concern" but is part of a needed adjustment due to India's large current account deficit.

Singh said that rupee depreciation will see upward pressure on inflation, but added that RBI will work on containing it.

Indian economy will grow at about 5.5% in the current fiscal and the first quarter numbers are expected to be relatively flat, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said today.

The key trigger for markets now will be first quarter GDP data scheduled later today.

Moody's Analytics, the research and analysis wing of Moody’s expects the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth for the first quarter to be at 4.5%.

On the global front, Asian stocks rose and oil prices tumbled as a possible U.S. military strike on Syria appeared less likely, while the dollar remained not far from a three-week high against a basket of currencies after upbeat US growth data.
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