Lack of internal democracy in different political parties of Andhra Pradesh has resulted in the mess over the division of the State and has even become a major threat to the integrity of the country, according to former national president of Samata Party V.V. Krishna Rao.
Talking to The Hindu , Mr. Krishna Rao said that the issue was infusing a sense of hatred for fellow Telugus.
The different political parties were not coming out with their clear stand on the issue. “The stand of the political parties on the issue seems to differ from that of its members, but the parties do not seem to be concerned at all. No action is being taken by parties on members who were speaking and acting against the party line,” he explained.
Another reason for the problem to arise in Andhra Pradesh was the strange situation in the Congress. “The party has relegated the post of Prime Minister to the second position. UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi did not have a post in the government and was therefore an extra-Constitutional authority making all the decisions. Similarly there are nobody from Andhra Pradesh in the Congress Working Committee though the people elected 33 Congress candidates to Parliament,” he said.
“These were some of the factors that undermined the internal democracy of the ruling Congress party and that of the country as a whole,” Mr. Krishna Rao explained.
“When the MLAs and MPs of Andhra Pradesh went to the Prime Minister they were sent to Ms. Gandhi,” he said citing it as an example for her being an extra-constitutional authority. When all the Opposition parties in the State asked the Assembly Speaker to allow a debate on Telangana it was not allowed. By what standards could this be considered democracy? Mr. Krishna Rao asked the political parties. He said that the country had a long history of different articles in the Constitution being abused and then amended. The Constitution has been amended over a hundred times till now. The Constitution was not a religious book to be followed dogmatically.
“It should be followed more in spirit,” but it was not being done so, he said. It was now the turn of Article 3 which was meant to be used for bringing in self-ruled areas into the country after Independence and for the formation of new states out of those.
