Kiran Kumar issues notice to Speaker seeking return of draft Bill

Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy on Saturday issued a notice to Assembly Speaker Nadendla Manohar seeking to move a motion in the House for returning the draft AP Reorganisation Bill-2013 to the Centre as it was 'incomprehensive'.

The Chief Minister, who found fault with the draft Bill during his speech in the Assembly on Saturday, subsequently served a notice under Rule 77 to the Speaker for moving a motion in the House to return the Bill to the Centre.

The Chief Minister pointed out that there was no clarity as to whether it was a draft Bill or the original Bill. The Speaker is expected to take a decision on the Chief Minister's notice on Monday, Legislature sources said.

Seeing red over the Chief Minister's move, legislators from Telangana rushed to the Speaker in the evening and asked him not to entertain the Chief Minister's notice.

"It is illegal and immoral to seek to return the draft Bill after 90 members have expressed their views on it in the House. No force can stop the Bill," Telangana Rashtra Samiti floor leader Etela Rajendra remarked, after meeting the Speaker.

He wanted the Assembly to complete the debate by the extended deadline of January 30 and return the Bill to the President of India.

Telugu Desam Telangana Forum leader Errabilli Dayakar Rao came down on the Chief Minister for seeking to return the draft Bill.

"Kiran Kumar Reddy should be dismissed as Chief Minister," he said.

Another senior TDP legislator Ravula Chandrasekhar Reddy pointed out that the President and the Centre had every right to refer the AP Reorganisation Bill to the state under Article 3 of the Constitution.

"Nobody has the right or the authority to stall the constitutional process. People can understand the game plan of the Chief Minister in serving the notice after these many days," Ravula said.

Government Chief Whip Gandra Venkata Ramana Reddy also met the Speaker and requested that the Chief Minister's notice be disallowed. On the other hand, Telugu Desam legislators from Seemandhra also served a separate notice to the Speaker under Rule 77 seeking a resolution in the House for returning the Bill that was full of lacunae.

Earlier in the Assembly, after the Chief Minister's address, Leader of Opposition N Chandrababu Naidu wondered why Kiran Kumar remained silent all these days if the Bill was not comprehensive.

"How can the CM claim the Bill was referred without his knowledge? Did not the government provide all information (sought by the Centre) for drafting the Bill?" he questioned.

The Assembly was not ready to discuss the Bill that was full of lacunae, the Leader of Opposition said, adding that he would give his views in the House on Monday.

Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi wanted the government to take the opinion of the Advocate General and other constitutional experts on the draft Bill.