Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister C Damodar Rajanarasimha on Thursday expressed confidence that separate Telangana state would be formed soon even as the Legislative Assembly rejected the AP Reorganisation Bill-2013.
"2014 is a historical year for Telangana people. The dream of Telangana is going to come true. The debate on draft Telangana bill has ended. Now, it will go to the President," Rajanarasimha, who hails from Telangana, told reporters here. He criticised Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy for allegedly playing politics over the Bill without even caring for the interests of the Seemandhra region.
"We condemn the claims being made in media that we have stopped the Bill by voice vote and that Telangana would not come. The CM's group claims to have succeeded. Such statements are funny and unwise," he said.
The Andhra Pradesh Assembly on Thursday passed by voice vote a resolution moved by the Chief Minister rejecting the AP Reorganisation Bill-2013 which entails creation of separate Telangana state.
Rajanarasimha had earlier slammed the "government resolution" sought to be moved by the Chief Minister without consulting the council of ministers from Telangana region, including himself, which he said is highly objectionable and against the spirit of collective responsibility.
"Under the Constitution, the government means 'the council of ministers' and no individual minister, including the Chief Minister, can call himself the government," he had said.
He had earlier led a group of Telangana ministers to the Assembly Speaker and also the Chairman of Legislative Council, underlining that the resolution under the said notice is a subversion of the constitutional process provided under Article 3. He had demanded that the notice for resolution seeking quashing of the Bill be rejected by the presiding officers.
Meanwhile, Hitting out at Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy for rejecting the AP Reorganisation Bill, TRS said the move cannot stop formation of Telangana.
"Chief Minister and Speaker colluded and they are claiming that they have passed a resolution. This is a useless attempt. Nothing is going to happen by this. Telangana would not be stopped with this. Telangana Bill would be moved in Parliament in the second week of February", TRS MLA and party president K Chandrasekhar Rao's son K T Rama Rao told reporters here.
The Assembly today passed by voice vote a resolution moved by the Chief Minister rejecting the draft Bill. "Our party president K Chandrasekhar Rao is going to Delhi tomorrow. We will meet all national leaders. This is the end of a ritual. They have done this for their self-satisfaction," Rama Rao said.
Meanwhile, TDP MLA P Keshav, a strong votary of united Andhra, said the resolution would help in keeping the state undivided.
Earlier, the Speaker N Manohar put the CM's resolution for a voice vote and announced that the motion has been carried. The Speaker said he did not see any reason for taking up the 10 non-official resolutions on the same subject. He then thanked the members for their cooperation and adjourned the House sine die.
