YSR Congress asks for Seemandhra shutdown

The chief for the party described today as black day in India's history

YSR Congress party chief Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy described Tuesday as black day in India's history and called for a shutdown in Seemandhra Wednesday to protest the manner in which Telangana bill was passed in Lok Sabha.

"We have seen with our own eyes how democracy could be killed in broad daylight," he told reporters after Lok Sabha passed Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill 2013.

He said the live telecast of parliament proceedings was cut off, television channels were shut and MPs representing the interests of Seemandhra were suspended.

"The bill was introduced without any hands going up or coming down. The bill was passed undemocratically against the will of the assembly and the will of people of Andhra Pradesh," he said.

Jagan, as the MP from Kadapa is popular among his supporters, compared Congress president Sonia Gandhi with Hitler. He remarked that such incidents perhaps did not happen even in Pakistan.

Jagan, who along with 15 MPs from the state were suspended last week following clashes in Lok Sabha, said he was not allowed to enter parliament but by listening to the proceedings in the office of secretary general, he realized how democracy could be killed.