The debate on the A.P Reorganisation Bill in the Legislative Council saw a peculiar situation of Seemandhra Ministers taking on their own Government at the Centre and opposing the Bill, terming it as unconstitutional, undemocratic and anti-people.
The Centre imposed the Bill on people of majority districts ignoring their 100-day agitation, said Legislative Affairs Minister S. Sailajanath who initiated the debate in the House on Thursday. Andhra Pradesh was the first State where the Centre embarked on dividing the State without the Assembly adopting the resolution first. The Bill discriminated Andhra Pradesh.
Division of Andhra Pradesh was not feasible as different regions in the State were interdependent and shared a symbiotic existence, Mr.Sailajanath said.
Federal spiritIn a democracy people are rulers with rights and powers and the Bill undermined the federal spirit and self-respect of States.
“We have power, we will do it” was how the Centre went about its decision, he said which promptly drew objection from senior Telangana Congress member D. Srinivas.
Endowments Minister C. Ramachandraiah, who is Leader of the House, was even more unsparing. He said they should be loyal to the people who elected them and sought to know for whose benefit the Bill was introduced.
“Is it for national, State or party’s interest,” he asked. The Bill would lead to anarchy and the Centre would be forced to create two thousand States in this country.
Questioning the use of Article 3 for division, he said he would implead in the petition against Article 3 in the Supreme Court.
Questioning the very spirit of the Bill and rejecting it lock, stock and barrel, he demanded to know on what basis the State was divided. Backwardness, sentiments should not be the factors for dividing the States, he cautioned.
While Telangana Congress and TRS members interrupted the debate, the ministers were backed by Seemandra Telugu Desam and PRTU members.
