Andhra Pradesh?can clarify Telangana doubts

Hyderabad: Sources close to Rashtrapati Bhavan said, “The government has to clarify doubts, if any, on whether the Assembly has to merely express its views or send a resolution after pressing for vote,” adding that there is even provision for the Assembly to obtain the state advocate-general’s opinion on this.

A delegation of state BJP leaders claimed after meeting the President that he was averse to extending the deadline. “The President told us six weeks is long enough to have exhaustive debates and that he will not extend the time frame,” said BJP national secretary K. Laxman.

“Seeking time without debate is insulting the institution of the President and the Constitution,” he said, referring to the fact that no discussions were held while the Assembly was in session.

“He (Mukherjee) is expecting that a meaningful debate will take place in the Assembly. There is a chance for every member to express his or her views freely,” sources pointed out.

On the difference of opinion between the Group of Ministers that framed the draft Bill and the legal and legislative affairs departments at the Centre on contentious issues like Article 371D and delegating powers to the Governor for the common capital, the source said the very objective of sending the Bill to the Assembly is to ascertain members’ views on all such crucial issues.