Telangana Bill moved in Rajya Sabha amid unprecedented bedlam

NEW DELHI: Amid high drama over the formation of a separate state, the Telangana Bill was on Thursday tabled in the Rajya Sabha. While supporting the bill, BJP said it was worried about the people of Seemandhra.

Holding Congress responsible for the delay in passage of Telangana Bill, BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu asked for a Rs 10,000 crore package for Seemandhra. "Creation of a separate state must be done in a democratic manner," Naidu said.

BJP leader Arun Jaitley questioned MP Chiranjeevi's stance on the bill. "How can MP Chiranjeevi express a view which is contrary to the collective wisdom of Council of Ministers," Jaitley said.

Chiranjeevi had slammed pro-Telangana parties, saying that they are acting in haste. "Only Congress can't be blamed for this mess. BJP is suddenly demanding amendments. YSR Congress, TDP are harming Seemandhra," he said. "I am speaking with great pain against my party Congress. I am pained to see the haste in dividing Andhra Pradesh," he added.

Huge drama ensued and the Rajya Sabha was adjourned multiple times as MPs continued to stall the bill. Seemandhra MPs in Rajya Sabha held banners calling the Telangana Bill 'illegal'.

CPI(M)'s Sitaram Yechury said that his party has been consistently against the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.

The Well of the Upper House virtually turned into a battle field as Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde moved the bill with anti-Telangana protestors displaying huge placards opposing the bill and creating uproar.

Even though Leader of the Opposition Arun Jaitley, who had raised the issue of constitutional invalidity of the bill was asked by Deputy Chairman P J Kurien to put forth his point of view, the surcharged atmosphere forced the Chair to go for a short break.

The House had witnessed high drama yesterday with Secretary General Shumsher K Sheriff being heckled by a TDP member who tried to snatch from him papers related to Telangana bill.

When the Chair took up the Whistleblowers Bill for consideration, Prakash Javadekar (BJP) went near the podium to demand that the Telengana Bill be brought first, even as V Maitrayan (AIADMK) got into a scuffle with the marshalls demanding a discussion on the Tamil fishermen issue.

The Telangana bill was moved for consideration even as a deadlock persisted over it with the government accusing BJP of bringing amendments at the eleventh hour.