Legal Committee Needed To Study AP Split: TDP MP

TDP MP Yalamanchili Satyanarayana Chowdary, on Monday, demanded that the Centre form a legal committee involving legislators and all stakeholders to study the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.

Participating in a debate on the Telangana issue in the Rajya Sabha, Chowdary said that the decision to bifurate the state was announced in an autocratic manner, "igniting fire" in Andhra Pradesh.

He said that the Congress-led UPA government had communicated the decision to the public in a hasty manner. "A similar decision was taken on December 9, 2009, and after similar protests, the decision was reversed on December 23," he stated.

Chowdary said that over 1,000 precious lives were lost in Telangana since 2009, due to the Congress party's indecision. "Later, the Srikrishna Committee was formed, which, after spending Rs. 25 crore and 10 months, submitted its report in December 2010. However, only 6 out of 8 chapters in the report were made public," he said, and sought to know what exactly was confidential in the report of a committee which was given clear terms of reference.

The TDP MP said that the CWC had announced its decision without making any reference to the Srikrishna Committee. He said that thanks to the hasty decision, people are force to live in uncertainty, and were unsure of their well-being.

Referring to the recent press conference of Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, he claimed that there was a conflict between the state and central administrations.

Chowdary said that the decision was taken without homework being done, only for the Congress to gain political mileage while creating a civil-war-like situation in the Seemandhra region.

He sought to know whether the A K Antony Committee announced later was a political move or an official committee, and whether it was a substitute to the Srikrishna Committee.

Describing the decision as an unholy approach by the Congress to cover up its mistakes, he said that the claim that the views of all those concerned were taken into considerations was a lie.

He also asked for the agenda and supportive documents given to the UPA's partners, which he said had evidently led them towards the crucial decision in just 40 minutes.

Chowdary said that the constitution needs to be amended to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh, since it is governed by certain special arrangements.

Referring to the CWC's resolution, he also said that there was no clarity on making Hyderabad the joint capital for 10 years. "There is no financial memorandum to provide funds for the new capital," he observed, and said that the government should have done proper homework to leave no scope for controversy. (INN)