HYDERABAD: Notwithstanding the hue and cry raised by the entire Opposition, leaders of the ruling TRS, including former deputy Chief Minister Kadiam Srihari defended Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, who came in for intense criticism at what has been perceived as a proposal for a new Constitution.
“We have to debate on what the Chief Minister said, not the hullaballoo,” the TRS leaders said. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday along with Government Whip Balka Suman and MLA Ch Kranthi Kiran, Srihari said that as per the Constitution, the government cannot cross the 50 per cent reservation threshold.
“A new Constitution is required to enhance reservations beyond 50 per cent,” Srihari said. He said that a new Constitution was required to do justice to downtrodden sections.“We cannot understand what is wrong in the words of KCR,” Srihari wondered and added that the Chief Minister reiterated the policy of the TRS. “TRS leaders are real heirs of BR Ambedkar, the architect of the Constitution while BJP leaders are heirs of Nathuram Godse,” Srihari said.
Pointing out the there have been several amendments to the Constitution, he said that a new Constitution was needed to remove inequalities among the people.In an informal chat, State Planning Board Vice-Chairman B Vinod Kumar recalled that the then Prime Minister AB Vajpayee constituted a committee in 2000 with experts to review the working of the Constitution. The committee submitted its report in 2002.
“Debate on the Constitution is not new,” Vinod Kumar said, advising BJP State president Bandi Sanjay Kumar to know these facts. “The CM proposed a new Constitution in the wake of Central government usurping the rights of the States and also for not resolving the river water sharing disputes among States,” Vinod Kumar said.