The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy today expressed his strong opposition to the A.P. Re-organisation Bill. In his detailed presentation in the legislative Assembly, the Chief Minister said Congress (I) had taken the decision on the bifurcation issue after all the parties gave their views.
“It is my bad luck to be the Chief Minister today of the State. I fully oppose this, knowing well that I am here in this chair because of Sonia Gandhi and the Congress party”. His speech was punctuated by protests by his Cabinet colleague and Telangana leader K. Jana Reddy and Telengana Rasthra Samithi (TRS).
Both wanted to know whether the Chief Minister was opposing the draft Bill in his personal capacity or as the Leader of the House?.
Kiran Kumar beginning his speech gave mixed signals to the ongoing debate whose deadline set by the President expires tomorrow. Will the President accept the Government’s request and provide extension and for how long was the question upper most. A decision is likely from the Rastrapathi Bhavan tomorrow morning.
Unconfirmed reports, however, said that the Union Home Ministry could give an extension of 7-10 days for the House to conclude the debate. Telugu Desam President N. Chandrababu Naidu is among the top leaders who are yet to express their views on the bill.
Kiran Kumar Reddy related the historical developments that had led to the formation of a united Andhra Pradesh. He referred to the statements made by some of the Telangana leaders in the 1950s that called for making Hyderabad as the capital for the united State.
Earlier in the day, Seemandhra legislator Dronaramraju Srinivas too opposed the Bill which he said went against the interests of the region.
BJP member Nagam Janardhan Reddy said the Telengana region suffered a lot under the Seemandhra regime.
He blamed the Congress Government for the suicides of hundreds of students in the movement for a separate State. He criticised Opposition leader Chandrababu Naidu for failing to come out openly to support the Telangana cause. He said he quit Telugu Desam for this indecision.