There is a conspiracy behind Seemandhra leaders’ demand that the Union cabinet note on Telangana be discussed in the state legislative Assembly. The move is aimed at projecting statehood for Telangana as an illegitimate issue, TRS leader K Keshav Rao has alleged.
Speaking at a round-table organised by the University Teachers’ Forum for Telangana at the Osmania Univeristy here on Monday, he asked, “How is it possible to gather a majority vote for Telangana statehood when Seemandhra has a representation of 175 MLAs and Telangana only 119 MLAs in the state Assembly?”
Former MP B Vinod Kumar said, “Unlike the division of other states in the country, Andhra Pradesh does not have any problem in delineating the borders of the three regions. Bhadrachalam is not an issue in drawing a border between Telangana and the residuary state. It is amply clear that there are 119 Assembly constituencies and 17 Lok Sabha constituencies in Telangana. There is no overlapping with other regions.”
Further, he said, the protagonists of Telangana should be cautious as the Centre has been contemplating making law and order in Hyderabad a central subject. “ The Centre is invoking Article 258(A) of the Constitution to make Hyderabad internal security as central subject. It is impractical,” he noted.
On Hyderabad being common capital for a period of 10 years, BJP leader Nagam Janardhan Reddy said it was aimed at dodging the contentious issue eternally without resolving it. “There is a conspiracy behind the delay in announcing a capital for Seemandhra. The Centre has to announce the capital for the residuary state forthwith to put an end to confusion among Telangana people,” he demanded.
Explaining that he was unable to compromise with the proposition that Hyderabad would be common capital for a period of 10 years, educationist and MLC Chukka Ramaiah said that the Centre had to replace the word ‘common’ with an equivalent. “The future Telangana government should have maintenance of law and order, and land administration in the Hyderabad region under its control. The residents of other region should be treated as invitees and provisions to this effect should be made,” he suggested.
The opinions expressed at the round table will be compiled and presented to the group of Union ministers appointed to look into bifurcation of the state.