The 'Con'gress SHAM on Telangana

DESARAJU SURYA
Hyderabad: When it comes to hoodwinking the people, none can probably beat the Grand Old Party of India – the Congress.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy’s statement in the Assembly on February 12 on the Telangana statehood issue is yet another clear example of the Congress’ con game. A party that rode to power in the state on the promise of creating the Telangana state, failed to keep its word in five years and has now shamelessly come out with a ‘statement’ that it would constitute a committee to look into the contentious issue. What a SHAM!
Everybody knows how Rajasekhara Reddy, despite all major parties in the state having consented to the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, played spoilsport all these years and made the Congress high command ignore the public sentiments on such an emotional issue. What’s more appalling is the stance of Congress leaders from the Telangana region. They were the first to raise the bogey of Telangana but once the party rode to power in the company of Telangana Rashtra Samiti they conveniently pushed the issue on to the backburner. It was nothing but deception of the worst kind and the Congress leaders have to be blamed – in fact banished – for having caused bad blood between people of various regions of the state.
Now, with elections to the state Assembly as well as Lok Sabha just about two months away, the Chief Minister – and, of course, the Congress party – was left with no other option but to come out with some stand on the separate statehood issue. Hence this new drama by Rajasekhara Reddy.
But the time’s up for the party and it should sure bite the dust in the fast-approaching elections.
At the outset, doubts are being raised on whether or not the proposed joint legislature committee on the contentious Telangana issue can be constituted at all given the fact that the current Andhra Pradesh Assembly now remains “only on paper” for all practical purposes.
Besides, the “sanctity” of such a committee is also being questioned as the “outgoing” MLAs may not have the locus standi to deal with such a critical issue.
Though Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy sought to assert that “we have never in the past deceived any one on the Telangana issue nor will do in the future,” all opposition parties termed his statement in the state Assembly precisely as “yet another deception.”
Besides, the Chief Minister had merely made a ‘statement’ indicating his government’s decision to constitute a “committee of members of both Houses of the legislature to deliberate upon Telangana and related issues” and made no formal plea to the Assembly Speaker to obtain the House’s consent for the move.
“Consent of the House is very much required to constitute any such committee. The government has not obtained any such consent nor did the Speaker follow due procedure in this regard. So, how can the committee be constituted,” former Speaker of Assembly Yanamala Ramakrishnudu questioned.
Moreover, the committee, even if put in place, would not have any sanctity since it would have many outgoing members.
He pointed out that the Chief Minister’s statement on Telangana was nothing but a “laughing stock” as due procedures were totally violated in making the statement on the floor of the House.
And, the opposition parties also questioned the ‘timing’ of the Chief Minister’s statement: it was made at the fag end of the final day of the final session of the current Assembly which, for all practical purposes, ceased to function with elections due in two months.
“Why did the Congress government remain silent for about five years and not constitute such a committee much earlier,” Ramakrishnudu wondered.
“The Pranab Mukherjee Committee constituted by the UPA on Telangana was a farce. Now, the committee mooted by the Chief Minister is only a drama,” TDP deputy leader in the Assembly Nagam Janardhan Reddy remarked. It was a clear attempt by the Chief Minister to hoodwink the people of the Telangana region yet again, he alleged.
BJP floor leader G Kishan Reddy questioned the validity of the proposed committee when the Assembly itself would be dissolved soon. “It only re-established Rajasekhara Reddy’s intention to block the formation of Telangana state by any means,” he charged.
TRS MLA T Harish Rao remarked that by proposing the committee, Rajasekhara Reddy had “dug his own grave” besides leaving the hearts of Telangana people with a wound. “He will never be forgiven for the kind of treachery he has committed on Telangana,” Harish Rao added.
For the record, government whip Mallu Ravi asserted that the current Assembly would be in place for the next three months and hence the proposed committee could be formed. “Consent of the House is not required for forming the committee,” he maintained.