Kiran kicks up row on Telangana bill

Hyderabad : Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, who is strongly opposed to the division of the State, has kicked up a fresh controversy by claiming that the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Bill has not been introduced in the Assembly yet, leave alone commencement of the debate.

'The bill was just laid on the table of the House and it was not formally introduced. The debate is yet to begin as there is no clarity on several issues in the bill,' he claimed in an informal chat with reporters here on Thursday.

The Chief Minister's claim runs contrary to the assertion made by Legislative Affairs Minister D Sridhar Babu that the debate has already started with Deputy Speaker Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka asking Leader of the Opposition N Chandrababu Naidu to initiate the debate.

Significantly, a bulletin issued by the Legislature stated that debate on Telangana Draft Bill will 'continue' when the House resumes its sitting in the first week of January. When his attention was drawn to the words 'debate to continue' contained in the bulletin, Kiran simply said he was not aware of it.

Asked about his absence on the day the crucial bill was tabled in the Assembly, he said he was unwell on that day and rubbished the reports in a section of the media attributing political reasons for his staying away from the House.

'I am not afraid of anything or anyone, come what may', the Chief Minister asserted.He also made it clear that he would fight for the cause of united Andhra Pradesh and tell the Centre to rethink on bifurcation decision as it would be detrimental to the interests of both the regions.

The Chief Minister said the the Seemandhra members would also write to the President Pranab Mukherjee on the objections to the Draft bill. He also said he had informed the high command about his irrevocable Samaikyandhra stance.

Claiming that he was talking about the welfare of Andhra Pradesh, the Chief Minister said that those seeking bifurcation were doing so for political gains.

Replying to a question, Kiran said he was not coming in the way of bifurcation process and being the Chief Minister he was only talking on behalf of the people of the entire State.

He said that collective efforts of the government could clear Rs 9,000-crore debts and raised income resources to Rs 75,000 crores from Rs 40,000 crores since he took over as the Chief Minister.

Refuting the allegations that he was tacitly toeing the Congress high command's line on the bifurcation issue, he asserted that his stand was very clear from the beginning and that he would continue his fight till the division process was stopped.

'I am committed to what I said earlier...that I will try to stop the (bifurcation) cyclone. I am a warrior and will continue the fight till the end,' he told the media in an informal chat in his chambers in the Assembly soon after the House was adjourned.

Frequent adjournments and pandemonium have been holding up the debate in the Assembly. 'I did not attend the House on Monday (when the draft Bill was tabled) only because I was unwell,' he said, refuting allegations from various quarters that he had deliberately skipped the session despite vowing to stall the legislation.

Using cricketing analogy, the Chief Minister, who once played for Hyderabad in the Ranji Trophy, said the 'last ball' over the bifurcation was not bowled yet and there was still a lot of time for the same.

'It's for the AP Legislative Council and Assembly to decide whether the state should remain united or be separated. The Centre should go ahead with the division process only as per the Constitution.

In the bifurcation of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, the (respective) Assemblies passed resolutions based on which the Centre carried out the division,' he pointed out.

'We will go as per procedures of Constitution. I will definitely express my views in the Assembly when it begins in January next, besides all the members will be given time for their views on various clauses of the bill,' Kiran said.