Telangana issue may generate heat in Jan 17 AICC meet

New Delhi: The issue of separate Telangana could generate heat in the AICC meeting on January 17 with a senior Congress MP from Seemandhra region seeking permission of the central leadership to move a resolution against the division of the state at the crucial party conclave.

In a letter to party General Secretary in-charge of Organisation, Janardan Dwivedi, Vijayawada MP L Rajagopal said that the party had got the mandate in Andhra Pradesh in 2009 against the decision and it would be a "mockery of democracy" if any decision is taken contrary to the people's mandate and will.

Citing rules in the party constitution for moving a non- official resolution, he said, "In the national interest, we oppose further division of states. It is resolved to reverse the July 30, 2013 CWC Resolution of requesting the central government to take steps in accordance with the Constitution of India to form a separate state of Telangana."

Seeking the party's consent to move the "non-official resolution" on the issue, he said, "Unlike other parties, Congress has got the mandate of the people, but, unfortunately, Congress is following the views and stand of other parties, which is against the spirit of democracy".

He said that Telugu people had given mandate to Congress twice. However, "the party is subjecting them to suffering and agony by forcefully trying to divide the state". Rajagopal said that Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and then Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy had "never uttered a single word" about creation of Telangana during the campaign for 2009 Lok Sabha elections in Andhra Pradesh where the party won 33 out of the 42 parliamentary seats.

"Voters in 2009 general elections in Telangana districts have decisively rejected the Telangana Rashtra Samiti and the separatism it stands for. It was almost a referendum, and people voted overwhelmingly to reject the separatist candidates....2009 election mandate was for United Andhra Pradesh," he said in the letter.

All the Congress representatives elected in Andhra Pradesh in 2009 were bound by the party manifesto for that election and anything contrary to that was against the will and wish of the people, he said

Citing the party manifestos for 2004 and 2009 Lok Sabha polls, Rajagopal said that in 2004, Congress had stated that the matter could be best addressed by another States Reorganisation Commission (SRC).

In 2009, Congress had pledged to honour the stand taken by the government on the floor of the House and the report of the Rossaiah Committee set up to take the views of all stakeholders concerned to arrive at a consensus decision on Telangana issue, he said.

"The object of the Indian National Congress is the well- being and advancement of the people of India and establishment of India, by peaceful and constitutional means, based on parliamentary democracy in which there is equality of opportunity and of political, economic and social rights.

"However, July 30 CWC resolution of dividing AP state on piece meal basis is against very object of INC. India is a democratic country not a monarchy, wherein, key issues like state division cannot be done arbitrarily and unilaterally that too against the wishes of majority people and majority public representatives," Rajagopal said.

He said that Andhra Pradesh was instrumental in UPA coming back to power in 2004 and 2009. "Whimsical division of the AP state is destroying the interests of the Telugu people and they feel deprived," the Congress MP said.

He also referred to P Chidambaram's statement on December 9, 2009 in which he had said suitable resolution would be moved in the Assembly and in his statement of August 2013 in Rajya Sabha where he reiterated that constitutional procedures and past practices would be followed in the formation of new states including Telangana.

"However, no constitutional conventions have been followed in the case of Andhra Pradesh," Rajagopal said.