This Article is From Feb 19, 2014

For Telangana push in Rajya Sabha, Prime Minister reaches out to BJP: 10 developments

For Telangana push in Rajya Sabha, Prime Minister reaches out to BJP: 10 developments
Hyderabad: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today reached out to the BJP over the bill to create a new Telangana state by dividing Andhra Pradesh, which is to be taken up in the Rajya Sabha. Dr Singh met BJP's Rajya Sabha leaders Arun Jaitley and Venkaiah Naidu a day after the bill was passed under controversial circumstances in the Lok Sabha, with live telecast cut off. Protests over the bill saw a member manhandling the Secretary General of the house while trying to snatch and tear papers.

Here are the 10 latest developments in this story:

  1. The BJP has moved 20 amendments to the Telangana bill, including a compensatory package for Seemandhra, the non-Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh which fears a smaller share of water, power and revenue from Telangana once the new state is created.

  2. The party has asked the Rajya Sabha chairman to ensure proper discussion on the bill a day after it was passed in the Lok Sabha amid a TV blackout.

  3. Kiran Kumar Reddy today resigned as Chief Minister and quit his Congress party. He had campaigned vociferously against the state's division, and had fronted the Andhra Pradesh assembly's resolution rejecting the Telangana proposal. (Telangana row: Kiran Kumar Reddy resigns)

  4. "Linking the bifurcation of the state to political gains is wrong," Mr Reddy told NDTV. "I tried my best to prevent Telangana. Sorry, I couldn't."

  5. Union minister P Chidambaram told NDTV that Mr Reddy should have been asked to resign "much sooner."

  6. Protests against Telangana took an ugly turn in the Rajya Sabha, as a TDP MP, C Ramesh, tried to snatch papers from the Secretary General, and ended up hitting him on the chin.

  7. The MP apologised to the house later. "You can't attack the staff. Very unfortunate," said PJ Kurien, who was presiding over the Rajya Sabha. There were repeated disruptions in both houses.

  8. On Tuesday, moments after Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde took up the Telangana Bill in the Lok Sabha, the live telecast cut off and all doors and galleries were sealed. Facing a political uproar, the Lok Sabha secretariat ordered a probe and later called it a technical glitch. (Blackout row: Sushma to take up 'tactical glitch' with Speaker)

  9. Deputy parliamentary affairs minister, Rajiv Shukla, indicated that the blackout may have been planned as he said, "There are provisions for TV cameras to be turned off whenever there are disruptions in the house, when MPs are in the well."

  10. Many schools and colleges are shut in Seemandhra due to a shutdown called by anti-Telangana politicians including YSR Congress leader Jagan Mohan Reddy. (Track LIVE Updates)



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