Rift in Telugu parties over Citizenship Amendment Bill

Hyderabad: Telugu political parties are divided on the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) which was introduced by the central government in Parliament this week.

The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), the ruling party in Telangana state, has decided to extend issue based support to the centre, while the YSR Congress, the ruling party in Andhra Pradesh, has taken a decision to support the centre on every issue. Accordingly, the TRS opposed the CAB in Parliament and the YSRC supported it.

The TDP headed by former Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, is eager to restore relations with the BJP-led Union government, has also decided to support CAB.  

But there is a split in the TD on this issue. Of the three TD MPs, two - Galla Jayadev and K Rammohan Naidu - voted in favour of CAB in the Lok Sabha, while the third, Kesineni Nani, abstained from voting.

During a discussion on the bill in the lower house, TRS’s Lok Sabha member, Nama Nageswara Rao, called CAB a communal bill which went against the interests of the minorities.  TD MP Kesineni Nani said the CAB is against the fundamentals of the Constitution and discriminates against a section of people, and prevents them from getting their constitutional rights.