The draft Telangana bill which was supposed to be presented to cabinet for a formal nod ahead of its presentation to Parliament, is likely to be delayed further. On Tuesday, a group of ministers (GoM) finalised the draft bill, but quoting government sources, said that the GoM was likely to revisit it in order to incorporate amendments as demanded by Seemandhra MPs from Congress.
The latest move at some sort of appeasement for Seemandhra MPs comes even as discontent within the Congress threatens the party's prospects in the coming elections, and in the wake of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy sitting on protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, against the Union government.
The bill is being brought before the Cabinet despite legislators of Andhra Pradesh rejecting it last week. The Andhra Pradesh Assembly's feedback is, however, not binding on the Centre, the referral to the state itself being only a Constitutional requirement and a formality. "The party has become a hostage to the divisive forces. The problem is if we quit Congress, nothing is going to stop.
We want to tell the party leadership that whatever they are doing is not correct. It will harm everyone," Congress MP Lagadapati Rajagopal told INN Live, giving the Seemandhra perspective. Rajagopal is from the Congress faction that wants to keep Andhra Pradesh united. Reddy also urged President Pranab Mukherjee to "use his powers" to stop the creation of Telangana.
The Congress party appears keen to have the bill passed during the current session of Parliament, the last before elections, in order to make way for still-unclear electoral gains in Telangana. "Does it look good when the chief minister is not seeking a peaceful resolution and going on a dharna and fighting his own party ranks?
All must understand that this is not division of the people. This is a division for geographical and administrative reasons. They are making it as if it is a break away from the country. Both Kiran Kumar Reddy and Congress are trying to back stab the people," said TRS MLA KT Rama Rao during a debate. Lok Satta Party president Jayaprakash Narayan criticised all the political parties particularly the Congress for trying to exploit the explosive situation to gain electoral advances.
"The Congress attitude is of reckless abandon, a conspiratorial approach and full of short-sighted decisions. There was never a modicum of effort to bring all three sides to the discussion table. Is this how Congress deals with a state which is clearly a language majority outside of Hindi belt? This unbridled lust for power is dangerous reflecting pure greed for money and feudal crest of the family to rule," Narayan said.
The fence-sitter TDP has attempted to position itself as supporting the people of Seemandhra in their struggle but simultaneously supporting the statehood demand in Telangana.
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