After a break of a week or so, Chief Minister, N. Kiran Kumar Reddy showed his anger again at the party high command, this time for issuing “conflicting statements over a sensitive subject of bifurcation” leaving the people of the State confused.
Mr. Kiran Reddy is stated to have got so upset that he telephoned AICC general secretary in charge of Andhra Pradesh, Digvijay Singh, now camping in Madhya Pradesh, and took exception to the way he ( Mr. Singh ) and the Union Home Minister, S. K. Shinde, spelt out divergent views in public at a time when he was trying to convince the Seemandhra employees to call off their strike.
Ample scope
He reportedly reminded Mr. Singh that it was at his behest that he told the agitated employees that a resolution on bifurcation would come up twice before the Assembly leaving the members ample scope to voice the concerns of the people of Seemandhra.
“You have even told me that I should be your voice while conveying this to the employees and when I gave an assurance on this score, Mr. Shinde took a contrasting stand announcing that a draft Bill will be sent to the Assembly for its opinion only and that the bifurcation process will be expedited”, Mr. Reddy said in a note sent to the media.
It was not proper on the part of the party leadership to make such contradictory statements on a subject involving future generations of the two regions, Mr. Reddy said and wanted Mr. Singh to clarify in one voice the procedure being followed in dividing the State and how justice would be done to people of all regions.
‘Fresh controversy’
Supporters of the Chief Minister said he was annoyed that the high command has triggered a fresh “Telangana resolution versus draft bill” controversy as if the deep division among the people was not enough and when the need was for adopting a conciliatory tone to calm the ruffled feelings.
The latest detailed statement of Mr. Shinde of how the Centre plans to circumvent the problem it would encounter if the AP Assembly rejected the bill on Telangana, too had vertically divided people with those favouring the separate State rejoicing and those opposing it feeling let down.
