‘No need for a second States Reorganisation Commission’

The Congress on Sunday said there was no need to constitute a second States Reorganisation Commission (SRC). This clarification follows the proliferation in demands for smaller States from other corners of the country, arising from the Telangana issue.

Reiterating the party's stand after initiating the process for bifurcating Andhra Pradesh, Congress spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi said the thrust was to deal with the Telangana matter alone as a one-off issue.

“No reason to entertain other demands”

He said the government was seized of the issue of Telangana and saw no reason to entertain demands for other States.

The RSS has demanded the constitution of the SRC, while Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati has proposed further splitting of the State.

The RSS pressed its demand citing the various demands that had cropped up in the wake of the action set in motion for the creation of Telangana State.

A PTI report quoting an article by RSS ideologue Baburao Vaidya said the government should not take any decision in haste and should go by the recommendation of the SRC.

Mayawati writes to PM

Meanwhile, Ms. Mayawati wrote to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh proposing that the eastern region of U.P. be carved out to set up a new Purvanchal State.

She had earlier suggested that two more States, Bundelkhand and Western U.P., also be carved out of U.P.

The Madhya Pradesh BJP president has, however, opposed the creation of Bundelkhand saying that the party was against splitting Uttar Pradesh. Chhattisgarh was carved out of M.P. about nine years ago.

“Little relevance”

The Congress meanwhile has taken exception to Ms. Mayawati's letters to the Prime Minister, stressing that these had little relevance in the present context. It said Ms. Mayawati's only option was to get these demands ratified in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly and then approach the Centre to consider their viability.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has turned down the demand of the former Union Minister and MP Jaswant Singh, to carve out the western region as a separate “Maru Pradesh.”