Passing of Andhra Pradesh State Reorganisation Amendment Bill in the lok Sabha, transferring seven mandals of Khammam district to Andhra Pradesh, has evoked an angry reaction in Telangana.
While Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao lashed out at the Centre for its “undemocratic” attitude on Polavaram project issue, Telangana Joint Action Committee, which was leading the fight against transfer of areas facing submergence by Polavaram project to Andhra Pradesh, has called for a general strike in Telangana on Saturday.
KCR said that the State Government will wage a legal battle against the legislation. “Instead of fighting against the Bill, the BJP has trampled upon the rights of the people of Telangana, Odisha and Chhattisgarh”, KCR said.
The State Government was consulting the legal and constitutional experts to decide the future course of action, he added. Chief Minister demanded a change in the design of Polavaram project so that there was no need to transfer the mandals to Andhra Pradesh.
Describing the attitude of the Central Government as anti federal-sprit, TJAC convener Prof Kodanda Ram urged all the political parties and other organisations to support the strike. The Bill, which Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had introduced in the lok Sabha earlier this week amid opposition from TRS was passed on Friday.
Kodanda Ram said that the transfer of the affected Mandals will leave lakhs of tribal people homeless in violation of their special rights. TJAC had organised a massive sit in protest against Polavaram project in Hyderabad on Thursday.
left parties have also reacted sharply against the passage of the Bill. The CPI, CPI(M) and the CPI(Ml) have also called for the strike on Saturday. Congress leader in legislative council D Srinivas also criticised the passage of the Bill without any discussion in the lok Sabha. He said that before taking any decision the Centre should have consulted the affected people and satisfied them on the issue of compensation and rehabilitation.