Union Minister K Chiranjeevi on Thursday reiterated his demand that Hyderabad be made a Union Territory.
Participating in the debate on the Telangana Bill in Rajya Sabha, Chiranjeevi said that Hyderabad should be made a Union Territory, at least while it is the common capital for both Telangana and residual Andhra Pradesh, on the lines of Chandigarh. He said that the people of Seemandhra are emotionally and materialistically bonded with Hyderabad, and that therefore, the demand for UT status for Hyderabad should be accepted.
Chiranjeevi also demanded that the Centre provide a special financial package for Seemandhra.
Chiranjeevi alleged that crores of Telugus were being deprived of their rights in an unfair manner. He slammed the process which was adopted for bifurcating Andhra Pradesh, and described it as very unfortunate. He said all the steps were taken in haste. He said a state cannot be divided causing pain to its people. He also said that the Srikrishna Committee's recommendation to keep the State united was ignored.
He accused all the parties, especially the TRS and BJP, of pressuring the Congress on the Telangana issue. He also accused them of inciting youth and drive them to suicide. He said that although the Congress party was the last to announce its decision, everyone was shocked when the CWC decided in favour of dividing the state.
Chiranjeevi alleged that the Group of Ministers (GoM) did not accommodate the concerns expressed by Seemandhra leaders. He criticised the way the Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha without a discussion.
Chiranjeevi said that the Congress alone could not be blamed for the Telagnana decision. He said that the BJP did not honour its promise on Telangana formation when the NDA was in power. Similarly, he pointed out that the TDP had favoured Telangana and later went back on its stand. He alleged that TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu had no clarity on the issue, and said he must explain what he meant by "equal justice" to all regions.
He said that it was the YSR Congress Party which had suggested the division under Article 3 of the Constitution and later took a U-turn.
Chiranjeevi said that Telugu people would be the losers if the sTATE was divided, but added that the damage can be minimised if Hyderabad is made a Union Territory. (INN)