President of India Pranab Mukherjee, currently in Hyderabad for his southern sojourn, continued to be flooded with pleas for and against the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.
On Tuesday, it was the turn of the pro-Telangana Congress leaders to urge the head of state to ensure expeditious completion of the process to carve out Telangana State.
The delegation, led by Deputy Chief Minister Damodar Rajanarasimha met the President at Rashtarpati Nilayam and submitted a memorandum complaining that two weeks have passed since he referred the draft State Reorganisation Bill to the State legislature but it was not debated so far.
The delegation which also included Union Minister from Telangana Balram Nayak, senior State Minister K Janas Reddy and Rajya Sabha member V Hanumanth Rao, told the President that the Seemandhra legislators were stalling the debate in the legislature trying to create a false impression that the majority of the members was against the bifurcation of the State.
The Telangana Congress leaders pleaded with the President not to allow any attempt to drag on the progress by granting more time for the debate. They also complained that Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy was also misleading people by claiming that he will stall the bifurcation of the State.
T-Congress leaders went to the President amid growing apprehensions among the supporters of bifurcation that time was running out fast and Parliament may not be able to complete the process before the next general elections.
Speaking to the media after the meeting Hanumanth Rao said that the delegation urged the President to ensure that the State legislature sends back the Bill at the earliest.
Though the draft Bill, referred by the President of India, was tabled in the legislature a week ago, Seemandhra MlAs stalled the proceedings till Friday and the House is presently adjourned for Christmas holiday. Same bedlam was likely to continue after the State Assembly meets again from January 3. The President has asked the legislature to complete the process and send the Bill back by January 23 after which the Parliament was likely to take it up for consideration. Telangana leaders urged the President to ask the Speaker of Assembly and chairman of the council to take the opinion of the members on draft Bill in writing if the Bill was not discussed even after the Houses reassemble next week.
Panchayat Raj Minister K Jana Reddy warned that any further delay in the debate in House will only add to the tension and friction between the people of the two regions. He alleged that some people were conspiring to seek more time for debate which will never be accepted by Telangana members.
Jana Reddy demanded that the Speaker should use his powers to ensure smooth conduct of the House and take action against those who were deliberately stalling the proceedings.
Meanwhile, the main Opposition BJP continues to blow hot and cold on the question of supporting the Bill. Senior BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu has asserted that there was no question of the party extending an unconditional support to the Bill.
He demanded the Centre to first tackle the issues arising out of the bifurcation and ensure equal justice to both Seemandhra and Telangana regions. The Andhra Pradesh State Reorganisation Bill was not expected to be passed in Parliament without the support of the BJP.
Seemandhra leaders on the other hand continue to maintain that the State will not be bifurcated. law Minister E Pratap Reddy claimed that the next general elections will be held in the united Andhra Pradesh.
“There are many lapses in the draft Bill referred by the President. Necessary information was not provided in it,” he told reporters in Srisailam. “We will ensure the defeat of the Bill,” he said.
Another Seemandhra Minister TG Venkatesh urged all the supporters of united Andhra Pradesh to rise above political affiliations and work to keep the State united. “All the elected representatives of Seemandhra should work together,” he said.
Meanwhile CPI(M), which was also opposing the bifurcation has lashed out at the major political parties for demanding the President to call back the draft Bill. “First they demanded that the President should refer the Bill to the legislature for its views. Now they are demanding him to recall the Bill on the ground that there were many lapses in it. This is nothing but showing disrespect to the President,” said BV Raghavulu, the State CPI(M) secretary.
He urged the members to express their views, either against or in support of bifurcation by participating in the debate. He criticised the Congress party saying it was indulging in a drama on the issue.