Hyderabad: Telangana ministers and MLAs have taken a serious view of the notice given by Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy, to the Speaker, for a resolution to be passed in the Assembly rejecting the Telangana Bill.
On Sunday, IT minister Ponnala Lakshmaiah wrote to Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan, Assembly Speaker Nadendla Manohar and Council chairman A. Chakrapani objecting to the notice, on behalf of Telangana ministers.
“I oppose the notices given by the Chief Minister and the minister (C. Ramachandraiah had served a similar notice in the Legislative Council) since the resolution is made in the name of the government. The Council of Ministers has never discussed it, much less approved it,” Lakshmaiah wrote.
“It is a serious issue and deserves your immediate attention. Under Article 167 (c) you can reject a decision taken by a minister without consultation of the Council of Ministers for consideration,” he said in the letter.
In his letters addressed to the Speaker and the Council chairman, Lakshmaiah requested them to reject the notices. The Congress high command appears to be taking the development lightly.
AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh told the media in Delhi that there was nothing new in the Chief Minister’s contention that there were mistakes in the Telangana Bill. He said the Business Advisory Committee would take a decision on the CM’s notice. He said there was scope for amendments if any of the Bill’s provisions are against the Constitution.
Panchayat raj minister K. Jana Reddy, who met Singh, said no resolution passed in the Assembly could nullify the Telangana Bill. Deputy Chief Minister Damodar Raja Narasimha called Kiran Kumar Reddy a “conspirator.” Speaking in Medak, he said if the CM was really for Samaikyandhra, he should quit immediately and participate in the agitation. He said they did not consider the CM as their leader.
Former minister Shabbir Ali commented that the CM had given notice for a resolution that was similar to the one that YSR Congress party MLAs had been demanding for the last 40 days. He said the Speaker has rejected the YSRC notices, and the CM’s notice will also be rejected. He said Assembly rule 77 will not stand before Article 3 of the Constitution.
Legislators from the Seemandhra and Telangana camps are getting ready for what could be the final lap of the Telangana race. On Sunday, Kiran Kumar Reddy held discussions with several Seemandhra ministers and Congress MLAs at his camp office. He asked them to be present in the Assembly by 8 am on Monday. Sources say this is in order to push for the resolution rejecting the Telangana Bill.
Telangana ministers and Congress MLAs met at Lakshmaiah’s residence and discussed the situation. They have decided to give letters individually to the Assembly Speaker and Council Chairman requesting that the notices given by the Chief Minister and the minister be rejected.
The opinion in political circles is that there will be no chance of continuing the debate on the Telangana Bill from Monday in both houses. Only four days are left before the deadline for the debate expires.
