UPA may extend Parl session to pass T Bill

HYDERABAD: After President Pranab Mukherjee extended the deadline for the State Assembly to air its views on the draft Telangana Bill by a week, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath on Friday made it clear that the UPA Government was determined to push through the legislation in the Parliament session commencing on February 7.

'We will pass the Bill in Parliament, even if it means extending the session,' Kamal Nath told reporters in New Delhi.

His remarks followed a statement by Congress State affairs incharge Digvijaya Singh that the outcome of the debate in the State Assembly would not have any bearing on the Government decision to divide the state.

He said he had asked Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy to ensure that the draft Telangana Bill is returned to the Centre as early as possible. He was replying to queries on the Centre's response if the State Assembly votes against the bill.

Interestingly, he added that he had spoken to Kiran Reddy in the morning regarding Rajya Sabha polls. 'The Chief Minister told me he will not be able to come to Delhi on Saturday for a party meeting being held to formulate a strategy for Rajya Sabha elections,' he disclosed and added in the same breath that he would, however, be in touch with the Chief Minister over the Rajya Sabha elections -- indirectly, hinting that Kiran Reddy hasn't burnt his bridges with the Congress high command.

The Chief Minister decided to give the party meeting a miss in view of the ongoing T-debate in the Assembly, according to Digvijaya Singh. However, keeping up his image, that of a 'rebel', Kiran Reddy made a cryptic remark while walking away from the Assembly.

'Delhi Bahuth Dur Hai (Delhi is too far),' he quipped when reporters asked him whether he would be attending the party meet in the national capital.

In a related development, the BJP indicated it would take a final call on the Telangana Bill after the debate in the Assembly ends. 'We are studying the bill.

Once the discussion in the Assembly is over, the Central leadership will discuss and then take into consideration various view.points and also suggestions by different people and then try to decide how to go about it in the coming session of Parliament,' BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu said.

While reiterating his party's commitment to the Telangana State, Naidu said, 'the BJP wants to protect the interests of Seemandhra as well.' His remarks came a day after party spokesperson Nirmala Sitaraman said there was no change in the party's T-stand.