Justice P.C. Rao faults A.P. bifurcation process

Says division of State against wishes of majority people tantamount to attack on the federal structure

P. Chandrasekhara Rao, judge of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, receiving Dr. Pinnamaneni and Smt. Seethadevi Foundation Award-2013 in Vijayawada on Monday. Photo: Ch. Vijaya Bhaskar

Justice Patibandla Chandrasekhara Rao, former President and currently one of the judges of International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), found fault with the way Andhra Pradesh was sought to be bifurcated and asserted that division of the State against the wishes of majority people was tantamount to an attack on the federal structure.

Being a very important issue concerning the future of Andhra Pradesh and having nationwide repercussions, the proposed bifurcation should be put to some form of voting in the State Legislature as per Constitutional precedents and also because the views of the House could not be brushed aside on any ground whatsoever.

The Telangana Bill is basically flawed as it did not have the ‘statement of objects and reasons’ and ‘financial memoranda’ provided in the requisite manner. “Injustices, if any, pointed out by the aggrieved should be treated as a matter of proper governance”, Justice Chandrasekhara Rao observed after receiving Dr. Pinnamaneni and Smt. Seethadevi Foundation Award – 2013 from L.V. Prasad Eye Institute Chairman Gullapalli Nageswara Rao and Pinnamaneni Foundation Managing Trustee Chadalavada Nageswara Rao here on Monday.

Responding to requests to speak on the issue of bifurcation, instead of ‘Constitutional developments in India’ which was the topic he was scheduled to talk about, Justice Chandrasekhara Rao said bifurcation was strongly opposed by even the Chief Minister and many Ministers, whose protests could not be simply dismissed.

Basis not clear

Unfortunately, the Central government has not so far explained clearly on what basis it proposed to divide Andhra Pradesh while the Constitutional aspects of it were interpreted in whatever manner political parties and others wanted to showcase it in their own interests. Besides, the recommendations of Srikrishna Committee, which stated that substantial progress was achieved in Telangana, were completely ignored, said Justice Chandrasekhara Rao.

He argued that by forging an alliance with TRS for the 2004 elections, both the Congress and TDP have agreed to a certain extent K. Chandrasekhara Rao’s demand for Telangana State. Nevertheless, the political scene has undergone dramatic changes later and the present situation would not have cropped up had the issue not been left to be settled by politicians”, Justice Rao added.