The main Opposition BJP on Monday asked the UPA Government to address the “security and financial concerns” of people from Seemandhra region as-well-as the issue of constitutional validity of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Bill, before attempting to have the legislation passed in Parliament.
While supporting the creation of a separate Telangana, the party demanded “proper discussion” in the House and gave a list of around 35 to 36 amendments in the Bill to UPA Ministers, who top BJP leaders met on Monday.
The BJP was not sure whether the Government’s claim that the Bill was “introduced” stood the test of House opinion. Five Union Ministers, KS Rao (Minister for Textiles), Pallam Raju (HRD), K Chiranjeevi (Tourism), KJ Suryaprakash Reddy (Railways) from Seemandhra have in a letter to Speaker Meira Kumar, also questioned the procedures and asked her to “re-introduce” the Bill in the House. They have also requested the Speaker to revoke “the selective suspension” of 16 MPs from Andhra Pradesh. Meanwhile, UPA Ministers on Monday interacted with top BJP leaders to iron out their differences on the Telangana Bill.
“We are waiting for their response. let us see,” said M Venkaiah Naidu who along with other BJP veterans lK Advani, Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley had a meeting with Sushilkumar Shinde, Jairam Ramesh and Kamal Nath in Advani’s office in Parliament.
The BJP pointed out that ‘special powers’ vested in the Governor to handle law and order in Hyderabad would require a constitutional amendment. “The Government argued that it is not power but responsibility” which was not accepted by BJP leaders who argued that as per the current Bill, the Governor would have the last word on the law and order issue if there was a difference of opinion between the Governor and a Minister in the State Government.
The main Opposition has during the meeting suggested that statutory guarantees were necessary in the Bill to ensure that advantages of special financial package and benefits of irrigation and other multi-purpose projects and those of major institutions and PSUs (concentrated in Hyderabad) continue to reach people of Seemandhra.
Settlement of salary, pension, investments and debt has to be clearly spelt out and money allocated to Seemandhra to work out the smooth bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. According to BJP leaders, the Government spoke of the Finance Commission settling the issue which by implication meant a major time gap between passing the Bill and defining financial packages.
“First provide and then divide”, is the advise Naidu gave to Shinde during the meeting. “If the Government of India does not address our concerns, we will move amendments”, Naidu said. He said the party objected to a Minister accusing the BJP of adopting “double standards” on the Telangana issue saying it was the UPA which was doing so and delaying the Bill inordinately.
Naidu had recently interacted with Congress General Secretary Ahmed Patel, political secretary to Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Union Minister Jairam Ramesh to work out a solution to the Telangana impasse. He wanted the UPA Government to first set “its house in order” before seeking to ensure a safe passage to the Bill.
Meanwhile, five central Ministers from Seemandhra region including Chiranjeevi, Raju and Purandeswari accompanied by Naidu, met Advani at his residence and urged the BJP to oppose the Bill. Advani asked them not to rush to the Well of the House and help bring the House in order, sources said. Five central Ministers from Andhra Pradesh including Jagan Mohan Reddy (YSR Congress), who sat on protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on Tuesday also reached out to the BJP. “We will support anyone who helps us keep Andhra Pradesh united and Narendra Modi is not an exception,” Reddy said
The passage of the Bill in the lower House remained uncertain with a host of parties including National Conference, Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party and Congress Ministers and MPs hailing from Seemandhra opposing the division of Andhra Pradesh. Declaring that the Bill would be taken up on Tuesday, Parliamentary Affairs Minister said “those who want to oppose it can do so in a parliamentary manner.”
Eight trainloads of people from Andhra Pradesh, including Government employees from Seemandhra, have arrived in Delhi to participate in protests against Telangana. Three key metro stations were shut till evening due to security concerns in the VIP zone in the heart of the city. Anti-Telangana MPs also protested while Finance Minister P Chidambaram presented his interim Budget, the last before the national election, in Parliament. The protests forced the Rajya Sabha to adjourn.