The Government faces a fresh challenge on deciding the fate of Andhra Pradesh with the BJP and several other parties on Thursday informing lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar that they do not accept that the legislation has been introduced in the lok Sabha.
“The Government has claimed that the Bill has been introduced, but we do not accept,” leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj told reporters after she led a delegation of six parties to the Speaker to lodge their protest in the matter.
The Bill was introduced by Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde when the House was in complete disorder with Congress MP from Seemandhra l Rajagopal using pepper spray to derail the proceedings.
“I was sitting in the House even after the (pepper) spray incident and wanted to stay inside till I was advised by marshals to leave as it could have harmed my health,” Swaraj said. She claimed that she didn’t see the Bill being introduced even as she was in the lok Sabha.
Other parties whose leaders accompanied Swaraj were SP, BJD, CPI and Trinamool Congress.YSR Congress chief YS Jaganmohan Reddy also raised questions over the introduction of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill.
He said it was a ‘mockery’ to say that the Bill has been introduced as the whole thing was over in ten seconds and there were no ‘ayes’ and ‘nays’. Reddy, whose party is staunchly opposed to the division of Andhra Pradesh, said his party will move court on the matter.
Pro-Telangana TRS chief K Chandrashekhar Rao, however, said that the Bill has been introduced and rules were followed. The UPA Government has refused to buy Opposition’s argument and insisted that the Bill was indeed introduced in the lower House. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath asked the BJP to clarify its stand on a separate Telangana State.
There are not fresh indication that the Government and the BJP would sit on the table together to clear the impasse on the issue. The BJP has taken the line that it would not support the Bill without a “proper discussion” on the legislation which was “a monumental one”.
Swaraj said though the Government seeks cooperation from the Opposition, it had refused to set its own house in order with Ministers and Congress members openly flouting the rules. The Government should own up the blame for the current situation.