As the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh reached a crucial stage after the rejection of A.P Reorganisation Bill, 2013 by both Houses of the State Legislature, the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of advocates from Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions has pinned its hopes on the President , expecting him to keep the process in abeyance.
They are hopeful that Mr. Pranab Mukherjee will make an objective assessment of the contentious issue and desist from sending the controversial Bill to Parliament.
The JAC has also called for ‘Chalo Parliament’ soon to mount pressure on the Members of Parliament (MPs) of all parties to ensure that the Central government did not get the Bill passed in a surreptitious manner without the informed consent of all members of the House.
In its steering committee meeting held here on Saturday, the JAC has also decided to file fresh petitions seeking the intervention of Supreme Court with the rejection of the Bill by State Legislature giving it (apex court) the ‘cause of action’.
As far as the strike by advocates is concerned, the JAC has, in a reversal of the resolution passed in its meeting held in the city on January 23, decided to resume boycotting of courts till February 21 to keep up the pressure on Central government.
The advocates have resolved to continue strike till January 31 and attend to courts from Monday (February 3) but had to change that due to the latest bout of uncertainty triggered by the rejection of State Reorganisation Bill.
A.P Bar Council members Sunkara Rajendra Prasad, Muppalla Subba Rao and V. Srinivasa Reddy, Bezawada Bar Association (BBA) secretary Israel and others participated in the deliberations.
BBA president and Seemandhra Advocates’ JAC convener Matta Jayakar told The Hindu that the Central government was trying to pass the State Reorganisation Bill in Parliament through dubious means, which were sought to be foiled by the MPs from Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema cutting across party lines.
“Mr. Pranab Mukherjee is expected to withhold the Bill in the larger interest of Andhra Pradesh in tune with the majority opinion and if he failed to do that, the State would plunge into chaos,” Mr. Jayakar said and added that a delegation of MPs and Members of the State Legislative Council and Assembly would soon meet the President and others who matter in the decision-making process.
