BJP backtracking on Telangana Bill

Hyderabad: After publicly committing itself to supporting the Telangana Bill, the BJP, as expected, is appearing to resile from its stand under the guise of seeking “amicable solutions” to the concerns expressed in Seemandhra.

It appears now that the BJP will not allow the Congress to push the Bill through Parliament with one or two changes. Instead, it will oppose the Bill if the “concerns of all the regions of the state” are not addressed and made part of the Bill.

The BJP is pegging its changed stance on the AP Assembly rejecting the T Bill by way of a resolution adopted by Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, and also views expressed by leaders from Telangana and Seemandhra, both pointing to defects in the Bill.

These developments just before the commencement of what could be the last session of the 15th Lok Sabha may force the Congress-led UPA to negotiate with the main Opposition party if at all it is sincere in getting the T Bill passed. It was left to BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi to unequivocally state this new stand.

Meanwhile, The Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill-2013, that was referred to the state Legislature for expressing its views on the proposed bifurcation under Article 3 of the Constitution, was today returned to the Centre.

The Bill, which was "rejected" by the state Legislature by voice vote on January 30, was returned along with translated copies of the statements given by members of the Legislative Council and the Assembly and also over 10,000 "amendments/expression of views."

An eight-member team of officials from the state's General Administration department took the copies in 60 bundles by an aircraft to New Delhi to be handed over to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, official sources said.

Addressing a public meeting in Meerut on Sunday, Modi spoke of the party’s concern about how the UPA government had failed to address the issues that were being raised by the people of Seemandhra.

BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi reiterated his opposition to the manner in which the UPA had undertaken the state division. He accused the Congress of adopting a divide-and-rule policy and raking up hatred among the people instead of solving the issues amicably.

“When Vajpayeeji effected the bifurcation of three states, it was a smooth affair. But when the Congress decided to handle the issue of Telangana, it miserably failed in the exercise and only created unrest in all the regions,” Modi said.

Modi said that the entire Andhra Pradesh was engulfed in the fire started by the manner in which the Congress had handled the issue.

When contacted, BJP national spokesperson Nirmala Seetharaman told this correspondent: “Whether we support the Bill or not will depend on how the UPA will bring it before Parliament. Our Parliamentary Party will take a final view on that. We are committed to Telangana but we also demand that concerns of the people of all regions must be addressed.”

She pointed out that “officially the Telangana Bill that was sent to the State Assembly was rejected and the concerned resolution was moved by none other than a Congress Chief Minister. Why should anyone blame us when the Bill was rejected by a Congress ruled state?”

To a specific question on whether or not the BJP would support the Bill in its present form, Ms Seetharaman said, “we will see what to do”.

BJP leader M. Venkaiah Naidu said, “The Telangana Ball is in the Congress court. We have already submitted our concerns on the Bill. Let us see how the Congress is going to bring amendments to the Bill, we will respond then.”

BJP Seemandhra leader Kambhampati Haribabu said. “Unless 75 per cent of our demands are met I don’t think the BJP will support the Bill in its present form. Congress leaders if they are really interested they should talk to us, convince us and get some of the amendments carried in the Bill.”

He added: “We fear the Augusta scam, other issues, the no-confidence motion moved by their own MPs may stall Parliament.”

What the BJP wants:
The BJP’s demands, as articulated at its protest at Jantar Mantar, Delhi, on Jan. 20:
* Centre should simultaneously declare in the Bill the new capital for Seemandhra state.
* 10-year tax holiday to woo industrialists to establish their units.
* Upgradation of Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam and Tirupati airports to international airports.
* Bhadrachalam revenue division along with 134 villages facing submergence under the Polavaram dam should be included in Seemandhra.
* 200 tmc ft of water from inter-river basin transfer to Rayalaseema.
* Statutory provision for protection of all ongoing irrigation projects in all three regions.
* A mechanism to provide safety and security to over 50 lakh Seemandhra people living in Telangana, especially in Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy districts, for which a constitutional amendment is needed.
* Government employees should be given an option on their posting in the event of bifurcation.
* Clarity on financial memorandum and revenue sharing of Hyderabad with Seemandhra state should be included in the Bill.
* Institutes of excellence and infrastructure projects to be established in Seemandhra should be included in the Bill.
* Steel plant should be set up in Rayalaseema.
* Special packages for all backward areas in Seemandhra.