Strife over Cauvery not a sign of healthy democracy: Venkaiah

Hyderabad: The recent incidents of violence in both Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, over Cauvery water dispute is not a sign of healthy democracy, Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said on Monday.

"...Because, 69 years after Independence if you start quarrelling… Set on fire this bus and that bus. What happened recently in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu is not a good thing for democracy...It is not a good sign for healthy democracy," Venkaiah remarked after formally inaugurating the Telangana Postal Circle here.

"We are all one people...We are one country...We may be different states for administrative convenience and for developmental purpose. But at the end of the day we all are Indians. This feeling has to be there among us. So, let us keep this spirit in mind and move forward and both states (Karnataka and Tamil Nadu) should work (together) and should develop," the Union Information and Broadcasting Minister stressed.

Venkaiah further said every issue mentioned in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act will be taken to its logical conclusion.

"No doubt about it and there is nothing to worry about it. Certain issues may take time...Its not that much simple that you divide the state and everything is done. Even sometimes problems erupt during separation of families and it takes time to resolve the problems," he said.

He reminded it took lot of time to resolve problems pertaining to (after creation of) Uttarakhand, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh states.

"The government is working speedily though there are certain issues...Legal disputes, differences between both the states among others. We at the Centre and Prime Minister are working...Efforts are on to solve the problems," Venkaiah added.

On maternity leave getting increased to 26 weeks for women, Venkaiah suggested Union Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya to also think about paternity leave for men.

"I am not saying jokingly...They (men) can reach home to serve the wife, who has been serving the family for years," he said adding "though, if both go on leave for 26 weeks then there will be problem...The government will go on leave.”