India LS okays Telangana bill

Indian supporters of Telangana Rastra Samithi (TRS) party shout slogans as they celebrate the planned creation of Telangana state in Hyderabad, yesterday. Photo: AFP

Amidst din, Indian parliament yesterday passed a controversial bill to create Telangana, the country's 29th state, out of southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.
The Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill, 2014 was adopted by voice vote along with several official amendments, with main opposition BJP coming on board.
Moving the bill for consideration and passage, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said the federal government will give special financial package to Seemandhra, residual part of Andhra Pradesh, to address the grievances of the people of that region.
Creation of Telangana has been fiercely opposed by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Reddy who is expected to to quit Congress party tomorrow, one of his aides said today.
Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, a local lawmaker who also opposes the division and whose father is a former chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, described it as "black day in India's history".
"While the introduction of this bill itself was done undemocratically ...the way the bill has been passed has killed democracy in broad daylight," Jaganmohan Reddy told reporters after the vote had taken place.
Many lawmakers protested the way the bill was passed in the din, saying it was against the democratic norms and a "black day" in the country's democracy.
The Bill was passed after a very brief discussion in which only Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj and federal minister S Jaipal Reddy, a pro-Telangana Congress leader from Andhra Pradesh, spoke.