Jagan says murder of democracy, calls for Andhra bandh

YSR Congress leader Jagan Mohan Reddy today termed the passage of the Telangana Bill in the Lok Sabha as a "murder" of democracy and called for a bandh in Andhra Pradesh tomorrow in protest.

He claimed the government adopted various "undemocratic" norms in passing the legislation, undermining the will of the people of Andhra Pradesh and the resolution passed by the State Assembly.

"The way the proceedings took place, the way the ayes, the way the noes were called by the Speaker, all of them very clearly showed how democracy could be killed in broad day light. It's a black day in the history of this country and we are declaring a bandh tomorrow in Andhra Pradesh in protest," he told reporters outside Parliament.

Jagan, who had sat on a dharna at Jantar Mantar yesterday, protesting the bifurcation of the state, has accused Sonia Gandhi of dividing the state for political gains.

He has charged the ruling party with dividing the state with the sole aim of making Rahul Gandhi Prime Minister as it hoped to win some seats by aligning with TRS in Telangana.

He also said the use of a pepper spray by a Congress MP in Parliament to protest the state's division was a Congress conspiracy to suspend Seemandhra MPs.