Lok Satta party founder and national president Jayaprakash Narayan on Thursday opined that the Centre by its alleged unilateral decision to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh for ''narrow political gains'', was sowing the seeds for a ''Khalistan-type movement'' in the State by hurting the sentiments of Telugu people.
The Centre's ''faulty policies'' were responsible for the political secessionist movement in Punjab then and for the continuing political turmoil in Jammu and Kashmir, he said at a press conference here.
''Andhra Pradesh will be facing a similar situation if the Centre goes ahead with the State's division without a broad consensus on the issue in the state, for the sake of votes and seats in the 2014 elections,” he said and urged the Congress to evolve a consensus within the party first.
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, All India Anna DMK, Biju Janata Dal, Janata Dal(United), Shiv Sena, Shiromani Akali Dal and other regional parties should oppose the division of Andhra Pradesh without adoption of a resolution in the State Assembly as this would set a wrong precedent for dividing other states as well at the ''whims and fancies'' of the Centre, he said.
Article 3 of the Constitution was enshrined at the time of Independence empowering the Centre to annex a large number of princely states after the bitter partition experience then, he recalled later while interacting with college students.
The federal spirit of the Constitution which was the basis for preserving the nation's characteristic of unity in diversity should not be violated, he maintained.
President Pranab Mukherjee should intervene and ask the Centre to strive for an amicable and comprehensive solution to the statehood issue by holding extensive consultations with all stake-holders and by following all conventions and procedures, he added.
