The State executive of Telangana unit of Communist Party of India-Marxist has sought amendments to Section 8 of AP Reorganisation Act, apart from demanding that anybody, regardless of their position, be arrested in the ‘Cash-for-Vote’ scandal and cases booked against them.
At a media conference here on Tuesday after a two-day meeting, State Secretary Tammineni Veerabhadram said that the party had always been against giving powers to the Governor on law and order issues, overruling elected people’s representatives.
“We are in a democracy and that should be remembered. The CPI-M is not per se against a standalone discussion on Section 8 on its pros and cons, but only insisting that Section 8 be not linked to the Cash-for-Vote scandal at all,” he said, pointing out that there were two different issues.
“Even if it is a person like Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, he should be brought to book, arrested and a case registered if evidence is found. However, we have begun to suspect that things are headed towards a compromise. Whether it is Mr. Naidu, or Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, both are only taking people in the two States for a ride,” he stated.
As if to justify the party’s stance on the ‘Cash-for-Vote’ scandal, Mr. Veerabhadram pointed out that on one hand Telangana Home Minister Naini Narsimha Reddy was saying the Anti-Corruption Bureau of Telangana had proof of Mr. Naidu’s involvement, while Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao had said that even if Lord Brahma were to help, Mr. Naidu would not be able to wriggle out of the situation, considering the evidence against him.
Other issues that were discussed and resolutions passed, pertained to what the party called, the ‘haphazard’ manner in which the KG-to-PG scheme was being showcased, on ‘Harita Haram’ the ambitious green belt, tree plantation scheme. “We will not stand by and watch Government take over lands given to tribals,” he said.
Mr. Veerabhadram said that the party was chalking out an agitation plan against the education policies of the Telangana Government. “From June 25 to 30, we will go to schools right from the village-level in a bid to increase awareness levels among students and their children as to how the KG-to-PG scheme was almost stationary,” he said.
On one hand the TRS Government was saying it was all for quality and free education from KG-to-PG and on the other, Mr. Rao was not clarifying as to when and in what manner the scheme would take off. “There are an estimated 19,000 primary schools, of which atleast 7,000 have less than 30 students, which means they are single-teacher schools. Now such single-teacher schools always carry the danger of them being closed down at short notice and we fear that,” he said.
