7Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh appeared to be set for another spell of unrest with those seeking its bifurca-tion terming the B N Srikrishna committees terms of reference announced by the Centre on Friday as a big betrayal. And as a protest, yet another bandh has been called on Saturday. The terms of reference are baseless, meaningless and mindless . The Centre has betrayed the Telangana people once again as it does not say anything about formation of a separate state, TRS boss K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) told the media after confabulating with his lieutenants. All our 13 elected representatives , including myself, will submit our resignations in the prescribed format to the speakers, beginning with our 10 MLAs on Saturday, he said.
The month-old Joint Action Committee (JAC) fanning the Telangana fire also rejected the terms of reference saying that it undid Union home minister P Chidambarams statement in New Delhi on Dec. 9. It is a complete betrayal of the people of the region. We have no option but to support the bandh on Saturday and intensify the agitation , JAC convenor M Kodandaram said. The JAC is slated to meet on Saturday. It was the Osmania University students action committee that announced Saturdays bandh. But within hours, TRS, Telangana TDP, Telangana JAC of political parties and the BJP announced their support for it. With umpteen bandhs in the past few weeks, it remains to be seen how successful would this one be, remarked a senior cop. He, however, said that police were prepared to tackle trouble makers. It being a weekend, the APSRTC which bore the brunt in earlier protests said it will operate as usual in the morning and cancel services only if vehicles are targeted.
With no clear go-ahead for his desire to divide, KCR took strong exception to the committee clubbing the demand for division with that of those seeking to keep the state united. The demand for Telangana has been there for the past 60 years. The so-called United Andhra one is hardly 53 days old. The latter is only a counter agitation and not a genuine one. How can both of them be equated asked KCR.
But it is the 52 Congress and 39 TDP MLAs from Telangana who are in a bind. While senior leaders such as RS MP V Hanumantha Rao and PCC chief D Srinivas welcomed the terms, other MLAs, barring Nagarjunasagar MLA K Jana Reddy, dived for cover. They may threaten to resign from the assembly , but will be prevailed upon by the Congress high command , said one Congress leader.
In the TDP, leaders from Telangana rejected the terms saying that it was an attempt to put the issue in cold storage. The Telangana TDP leaders are maintaining that they will resign if the Congress MLAs do so. The TRS resignation drama has put pressure on the Congress and TDP MLAs. But if the Congress MLAs do not quit, neither will the TDP leaders, said one TDP leader.
====================================
TERMS OF REFERENCE
1. To examine the AP situation with reference to the demand for Telangana state as well as maintaining status quo
2. To review the developments in the state since its formation and its impact on the three regions
3. To examine the impact of the recent developments on women, children, students, minorities and other weaker sections
4. To identify the key issues to be addressed while considering the matters mentioned above
5. To consult all sections of the people, especially political parties, to identify the optimal solutions; and to recommend a plan of action and a road map
6. To consult representatives of trade and industry, farmers and others with specific reference to all round development of the three regions of AP
7. To make any other suggestion or recommendation that the panel may deem fit. The Committee is requested to submit its report by Dec. 31, 2010
==================================
Its final: No IPL games in city
Hyderabad: Two days of hectic lobbying by the state government with the powers that be in BCCI have come to a nought with the Indian Premier League finally pulling out all the matches from the city. Just 24 hours ago, CM K Rosaiah was assured by the former BCCI chief and ICC president-elect Sharad Pawar that he will convince the IPL governing council to retain the games in Hyderabad. But with the Telangana supporters reviving their agitation, the IPL delivered an adverse decision. As of now, there are indications that some of these matches could be moved to Vizag which already has two of the seven games. If not for anything, the IPL looks at it as an effort to give Deccan Chargers the feeling of playing at home. Although no decision has yet been taken about the new venue for these games, indications are the Vidarbbha Cricket Association could get some of these games. TNN
====================================
Bandhs loom over T again
Hyderabad: Security has been beefed up in the city following a bandh call given by Osmania University joint action committee (JAC) in protest against the announcement of the Centre's terms of reference for the Srikrishna committee on separate statehood. In addition to the 9,000 city police personnel , about 250 platoons of special state police and paramilitary forces were deployed in the city by Friday after-noon. At OU campus alone, 40 platoons were deployed. "No rallies or public meetings will be allowed in the city,'' Hyderabad commissioner of police A K Khan said.
After the terms of the Srikrishna panel were announced on Friday morning, about 100 university students took out a rally from various hostels towards NCC gate. Police intercepted the rally, after which the agitators staged a dharna for some time raising slogans. University students said they did not want any panel on Telangana as their demands were already communicated to the central government. "We want the public representatives to put in their resignations and get them accepted by the assembly Speaker. Students will place the public representatives who do not resign under house arrest on Saturday ," said a JAC member.
The students also called for a pen down strike and asked all government servants to boycott work starting Saturday. "The police too should go for a 'gun down' strike and not perform their duties," declared OU JAC members. They also asked workers of Singareni Collieries not to work from Saturday . Meanwhile, in view of the Telangana bandh, G Balaramaiah, secretary, Board of Intermediate Examinations (BIE), said that officials in charge of the practical examination centres can postpone the exams to a later date if tension prevails at their centres . Practical examinations of BIE are being held at over 2500 centres in the state.
Buses to run today
The APSRTC has decided not to withdraw its services on Saturday despite a bandh call given by Osmania University students' JAC. The buses will run as usual, said P V D Jayashankar Prasad, secretary of the corporation's board. "The RTC will run buses on Saturday and if there is any problem we will take a decision depending on the situation." RTC union leaders also reiterated that the buses will run. However, they added that if the police alert them on any disturbance, the services will be withdrawn in those areas. The RTC during the recent agitations and bandhs had withdrawn its services as a preventive measure. But this time it decided not to do so in the wake of the high court reprimanding the corporation for causing inconvenience to passengers. SCR also said that it would operate the rail services. TNN
Student ends life
Dejected over the continued delay in the formation of Telangana state, an SSC student committed suicide in Adilabad district. S Yogesh, 15, consumed pesticide late on Thursday night in Bhainsa town. He died while he was being taken to hospital in Nanded of Maharashtra. In a suicide note found in his shirt pocket and addressed to his parents, Yogesh said he was dying for T-cause . In another incident, Karunakar Rao, 22, a worker at a sweets manufacturing unit, took 12 sleeping pills on Friday at Jagadgirigutta near Hyderabad, demanding immediate formation of Telangana state. He was rushed to hospital where where his condition is stable, according to Kukatpally inspector of police Ch Lakshminarayana. TNN
FRESH TROUBLE: - Students of English and Foreign Languages University burn an effigy of the Srikrishna panel on OU campus demanding its dissolution on Friday
Will events overtake Srikrishna committee
Hyderabad: Even as the B N Srikrishna committee is slated to hold its first meeting in New Delhi on Saturday , many Telangana advocates were of the view that the terms of reference not spelling out a timeframe for the creation of the separate state will only trigger a fresh period of unrest in the region. This will render the panel irrelevant in a shortwhile as events will overtake the committee. Despite the committee being given time only till the end of this year to submit its report, the Telangana ideologists see it as too wishy washy and attempt to be a please one and all. In effect, the terms of reference is being viewed as a desperate attempt by the Centre to wriggle out of the situation it brought upon itself on December 9, 2009, by announcing the process of creating Telangana, analysts proferred. "We had an indication to this effect when the committee was constituted last week without any reference to Telangana. How can the committee come up with a solution from the political parties to resolve the situation when there is no meeting ground between one region which wants to break away and another which is opposing it," asked one senior Telangana leader, a trifle amused.
If any unrest in the region does not scuttle the meetings of the committee , then it may set about holding wide ranging consultations with political parties, representatives from the industry, trade, trade unions, farmers, women, students, children, minorities and other weaker sections . At the same time, it is also slated to review the progress of the state since its inception with emphasis on how the three different regions fared. But the crux of the matter is that at the end, it has to either suggest that the state remain united or that Telangana be created. "Therefore , how can it suggest something that would be acceptable to people of all the three regions," wondered one leader. But history appears to be on the side of those against the division of the state as opposed to those seeking Telangana. No committee appointed by the Centre or any state on sensitive issues like this had its report ready by the time stipulated at the time of its constitution. "Therefore , this committee too is likely to see several extensions. But all that depends on whether the committee is still looked upon as a relevant arbitrator when its term ends on December 31 this year," said an analyst.
Dattatreya rejects TOR
Hyderabad: BJP president Bandaru Dattatreya rejected the terms of reference for B N Srikrishna panel on separate Telangana, even as Prajarajyam MLA from Nirmal A Maheshwar Reddy set out from his constituency on Friday to submit his resignation to the Speaker. Barring the TDP, politicians from Andhra region, including those from the Congress and PRP, welcomed panels terms of reference. When there is a dispute, one always goes for arbitration. The committee is playing such a role and people should appear before the panel and give their views, said Congress MP (Anakapalli) Sabbam Hari.
But the TDP leaders from the coastal area opposed the terms of reference. Rajya Sabha MP Mysura Reddy saw in it a conspiracy by Chidambaram to divide the state.
DS welcomes T terms, urges all to be positive
Hyderabad: Welcoming the terms of reference for the Srikrishna panel , PCC chief D Srinivas said on Friday that the Centre had responded in a judicious manner and these measures were indicative of an amicable solution to the ongoing political turmoil in the state. Srinivas appealed to MPs, MLAs, MLCs and student organisations to extend all help to the committee to function freely. If we are positive, things will be positive, he said. He lashed out at TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao for demanding his resignation saying, My contribution towards Telangana is more than KCRs . Who is he to ask for my resignation He has no right to question me on Telangana. We have a party and we will abide by our party stand. Brushing aside KCRs demand on deadline, he said: Time alone is not a factor. Appropriate judgment holds the key. We have got a chance to voice our concern. Things are to be understood in the right perspective as the committee would offer a solution as well as the roadmap. There is no rule that prevents the report to be submitted before Dec. 31, as this date indicates the upper limit.
T Congmen may toe party line
Hyderabad: Caught between the high command and a highly emotive public , elected representatives of Congress from Telangana region were still weighing options on whether to quit their posts or toe the party line even as higher education minister D Sridhar Babus convoy came under attack near Regondi in Warangal district. The incident occurred when members of the local joint action committee stopped the ministers convoy and asked him to resign. When the ministers convoy began to move after policemen lifted the agitators, they pelted stones at the convoy.
A similar situation was faced by former Home minister K Jana Reddy, who was instrumental in forming the political joint action committee after the Dec 23 announcement by the Union home minister. Jana Reddy interacted with JAC leaders in Haliya of Nalgonda district after they demanded his resignation. Claiming that he was very much part of the Telangana agitation, he welcomed the Srikrishna panels terms of reference and said; the formation of Telangana state is not far away. In fact, I want to be the first chief minister of Telangana, going by my determination in support of a separate state.
Karimnagar MP Ponnam Prabhakar , who welcomed the terms of reference too faced some embarrassing moments for an hour when he was asked by JAC members to quit. Though the vertical split in the state Congress is still glaring, the thick lines of separation appear to be fading away fast with several elected Telangana representatives joining chorus with Delhi that the committee would come out with a judicious and comprehensive report in their favour. Though leaders like Rajya Sabha MPs V Hanumantha Rao and K Keshava Rao supported the terms of reference , they remained silent all through the day for obvious reasons. While others like Madhu Yashki Goud, G Venkataswamy and U Purushottam Reddy were critical of the panels terms of reference saying, We must not betray Telangana people yet again. All Congress leaderssuccumbed to the blackmail of coastal leaders. How will we approach people in the constituency asked Madhu Goud.
At a late night meeting convened at medical education minister P Sudershan Reddys house, Telangana ministers remained undecided on the future course of action as most of the Telangana ministers were away in their respective constituencies or not available due to Sivaratri. They said their collective decision would be made public on Saturday after due consultations with other ministers from the region.
TDP leaders divided over terms of reference for Srikrishna committee
The TDP continues to be a divided house though the leaders from all regions have opposed the terms of reference of the Justice Srikrishna committee for different reasons. While the Telangana TDP leaders have opposed the committee in totality and feel that the Centre is determined to put the issue in cold storage, the leaders from Seemandhra feel that it has decided to bifurcate the state and that Union home minister P Chidambaram is successfully trying to implement his agenda to put a break on the fast developing southern state. Party politburo members Y Ramakrishnudu and K Yerranaidu said the terms of reference should have been wider in nature. The committee should have been asked to examine similar demands in other states as well. In fact we had told the all-party meeting convened by Chidamabaram in New Delhi on January 5 that Andhra Pradesh should not be converted into a laboratory for experiments. Chidambaram is applying double standards. He is opposed to bifurcation of Tamil Nadu but wants to carve a smaller state here, they said. Another senior leader and Rajya Sabha MP M V Mysura Reddy said that the Centre should make it clear if it was in favour or against bifurcation of the state. These committees are of no use. It is only an attempt to cushion itself against the criticism that it has taken unilateral decision to bifurcate the state. Congress needs to be taught a lesson. Telangana is more developed than Rayalaseema, he said. On the other hand, Telangana leaders N Janardhan Reddy, M Venkateswara Rao, E Dayakar Rao said it was an insult to the aspirations of four crore people of Telangana. We are not asking for bifurcation, we are asking for restoring the status of October 31, 1956 before Telangana was merged with Andhra. TDP would have had no objection to a time frame of 10 months or even more if the sole objective of the panel was to carve a separate state. This system was not followed in case of the smaller states created by NDA. The Centre should straight away introduce a bill in the Parliament, they said. TNN
(Source - TOI)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment