Article 3 of the Constitution that provides for forming a new State is being misused like never before, YSR Congress leader Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy said on Wednesday.
In an exclusive interview to The Hindu , he said he would spare no effort to make leaders of political parties understand the consequences of dividing Andhra Pradesh. “Today if you permit this [creation of Telangana State) to happen, very soon it will spread to every other State and Andhra Pradesh will be seen as a precedent.”
Mr. Reddy was here to meet Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa and DMK president M. Karunanidhi to seek their support for his campaign against bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.
Asked if his visit was successful, he said the formation of Telangana state was a challenge to all those who had respect for democracy. “We want people to understand the damage Telangana will do to the rest of Andhra Pradesh. Unless and until everybody comes on to this platform, our mission will not be fulfilled. We need to bring in everybody…”
In an apparent reference to the proposal to have Hyderabad as a joint capital of Telangana and the rest of Andhra Pradesh for 10 years, YSR Congress president Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy wondered how a new capital could be created in 10 years when it took 60 years for Hyderabad to be what it is today.
“Educated youths look at cities like Hyderabad for education and employment… Where will they all go? From Kuppam to Srikakulam, there is no source of freshwater,” he said.
Mr. Reddy asked where the Telangana movement had gone when his father, the late Y.S. Rajasekar Reddy, was in power between 2004 and 2009.
“It comes with leadership… leadership is something that gives confidence. If you give confidence to [people of] Telangana, Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra, the State will be united. The moment you don’t give the confidence, you will have divisive politics coming in. Today, the Congress knows very well that it will not get even one of the 42 Lok Sabha seats in Andhra Pradesh… That is why they are doing whatever they can.”
He said his father never had to face what he was facing on the Telangana issue. “But we believe in the people… Somebody has got to stand up for the cause and say this is not right. The people are aware of the destruction that will be caused by the bifurcation [of Andhra Pradesh]. They are with us.”
Article 3 of the Constitution says Parliament may by law (a) form a new State by separation of territory from any State or by uniting two or more States or parts of States by uniting any territory to a part of any State (b) increase the area of any State (c) diminish the area of any State (d) alter the boundaries of any State and (e) alter the name of any State.
