It is almost eight years to the day since the infamous pepper spray episode in the Lok Sabha when the then MP Lagadapati Rajagopal used it ostensibly in ‘self-defence’ during the passage of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill. The unfortunate incident, recently cited by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, created a furore in Telangana but sent not a ripple in residuary Andhra Pradesh—which was hit the hardest by the division of united Andhra Pradesh. Inexplicably, no one is bothered.
A couple of days ago, salt was rubbed into the old wounds when the agenda of the Dispute Resolution Sub-Committee’s first meeting scheduled on February 17 came to light. The panel has been constituted by the Union Home Ministry to recommend a pragmatic approach to resolve pending issues between Andhra and Telangana. The agenda included, among other things, grant of special category status to AP as well as its resource gap. The BJP quickly moved in to get them excluded on the ground that these issues aren’t bilateral in nature. It is true.
But the revision came a bit late in the day as the ruling YSRC had already gone to town by then to pat itself on the shoulder for inclusion of special status on the agenda—something the Centre has time and again termed a closed chapter. The entire episode reflects the difficulties being faced by Andhra since 2014. Special status wasn’t included in the Reorganisation Act but was promised by the then PM Manmohan Singh “for purposes of central assistance” and backed by the then opposition BJP. Later, the Modi government, citing the 14th Finance Commission recommendations, denied special status altogether and instead, offered a special package.
Similarly, Polavaram, declared a national project and included in the Act, is tied up in knots with the Centre insisting on paying only for the irrigation component, that too at 2014 prices. There are other aspects like division of assets and liabilities that are pending too, though the legislation says the Centre could act on the advice of the CAG. Why is the Centre dragging its feet? If pepper spray was ignoble, what is this?