Parties told to reveal their T-stand

The political parties adopting dual standards or maintaining silence over the Telangana issue will soon have to reveal their stand on the issue.

The Justice B.N. Srikrishna committee member secretary, Mr V.K. Duggal, said here on Wednesday that the eight recognised political parties in the state have been asked to submit their views to the committee by March 22.

When it was brought to his notice that leaders within a political party were found expressing divergent views, Mr Duggal said that was the reason why the designated presidents of the political parties have been asked to submit the view on the party’s behalf.

This means the Telugu Desam president, Mr N. Chandrababu Naidu, the Pradesh Congress Committee chief, Mr D. Srinivas, and the Majlis-Ittehadul-Muslimeen chief, Mr Asaduddin Owaisi, will have to make their stands known.

While the Congress and the TD continue their dual approach, leaving it to leaders of respective regions to agitate for or against Telangana, the MIM has not revealed its opinions. Later in the day, Mr Duggal called on the Chief Minister, Mr K. Rosaiah, at the legislative assembly.

We are alive to situation over Telangana: Manmohan

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday said the government understood the situation in Andhra Pradesh over the Telangana issue and would deal with the problem appropriately.

He conveyed this to a group of 11 Congress Lok Sabha members from Telangana who met him in Parliament House and sought stopping of police repression on students on the Osmania University campus, withdrawal of cases filed against them and an early solution to the issue as the people were pressuring the elected representatives to quit their posts.

The MPs expressed their disappointment over non-mention of the Telangana issue in the President’s address to Parliament.

According to the Peddapalli MP, G. Vivekanand, Dr. Singh said: “I can understand the situation in Telangana. We will deal with the situation.”

Concern over deaths

Madhu Yaski (Nizamabad) said Dr. Singh told them that the government was working out a solution and also expressed concern over the deaths of people during the agitation.

Earlier, during the President’s address, some Telangana MPs wore black shirts and waved placards — which read “Jai Telangana, Jai Congress” — demanding the creation of a separate State. They staged a protest near the Gandhi statue in the Parliament complex and mourned student Yadaiah, who immolated himself recently in Hyderabad pressing for a separate State.

The MPs claimed that after the President’s address they observed a two-minute silence in the Central Hall in memory of those who laid down their lives for the cause of Telangana.

Meanwhile, Congress spokesman Abhishek Singhvi said it was not necessary for the President to comment on every issue. Non-mention of an issue did not mean it had been left out of the policy of the government and the Cabinet.

He denied that the government was not according priority to the Telangana issue. “It has got so much priority that it has now gone on the process of a committee.”

Comprehensive look

Mr. Singhvi said a comprehensive look at the issue was being taken as the committee was set up after detailed deliberations and the process should be allowed its time. Raking up the issue without allowing the process to unfold could only impede the progress.

Massive traffic jams in Hyderabad

The State capital witnessed an unprecedented traffic grid lock in major parts of the city, especially those on the southern and western parts after the police imposed traffic restrictions on a massive scale to prevent the pro-Telangana students from carrying out their threat of laying siege to the State Assembly on Saturday.

Osmania University campus, the nerve centre of agitation for bifurcation of state remained peaceful, as massive contingents of police kept a close watch on a gathering of about 500 students. By 10.30 p.m. the assemblage of students were moving towards the NCC gate of the University, apparently in a bid to take out a rally to the Assembly.

However, police are determined to take them into custody, if the students try to cross the university gate.

Meanwhile, the Government has assured a delegation of the journalists that cases registered against media personnel in Osmania University police station would be withdrawn. Following this assurance from the Chief Minister, K. Rosaiah, journalists called off their boycott of the Budget session. The State budget will be presented at 12.45 p.m. today.

The never-seen-before traffic diversions, though publicised widely led to chaotic traffic conditions, as fuming motorists argued with policemen. A massive traffic jam was reported from Bazarghat, Vijayanagar colony, Nampally, Mehdipatnam localities situated on Western parts of the city. It is bumper to bumper traffic moving sluggishly in Southern parts of the city.

Though the police had cautioned people not to venture out on Saturday in view of expected traffic jams, many could not understand why roads leading to hospitals were blocked. The road leading to Gandhi Hospital, one of the biggest Government hospices in the State was blocked from Chilkalguda cross cross roads leading to wide spread resentment.

Doctors working in the hospital and patients intending to go to Gandhi Hospital were put to inconvenience and the policemen manning the barricades chose not to listen to the pleas of people going to hospitals. At Chapel Road angry motorists began abusing policemen for not allowing an ambulance carrying a patient to move into barricaded area. As people began gathering, a policeman quickly pulled out the barricade to allow the ambulance to move through.

Reports of siren-wailing Ambulances being caught in traffic jams were received from several areas. At Goshamahal cross roads, a woman doctor working in Osmania General Hospital was seen pleading and arguing with policemen to allow her to reach hospital. The policemen told her sternly that she would not be allowed because of orders from ‘higher ups’. The flustered woman doctor, who refused to be identified, almost broke into tears.

Assembly adjourned twice as TDP MLAs disrupt proceedings

The Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly was adjourned twice on Tuesday morning as TDP MLAs from Telangana disrupted the proceedings protesting the “brutal” lathicharge by police on students and journalists on the Osmania University campus.

Holding placards and raising slogans against the police action, TDP members rushed to the well of the House as soon as it assembled for the day’s proceedings.

Within a minute, Speaker Kiran Kumar Reddy adjourned the proceedings for 15 minutes but the House resumed only after an hour.

The Speaker then announced that the adjournment motion moved by the TDP on the OU issue was being disallowed.

At the same time the Majlis Ittehadul-e-Muslimeen (MIM) members rose to their feet demanding a statement from the government on four per cent reservation for Muslims in the wake of the AP High Court’s recent judgement against it.

The Speaker said Home Minister Sabita Reddy would make a statement on the OU incident while the Muslim reservation issue would be taken up as a short discussion.

At that stage, Chief Minister K. Rosaiah also said the government would make a statement on the OU incident and take appropriate action.

He also said the State government had already consulted Attorney General on moving a Special Leave Petition in Supreme Court on the Muslim reservation issue.

While the MIM members relented, the TDP MLAs remained adamant and started raising slogans denouncing the police action.

The Speaker then adjourned the proceedings again for 15 minutes.

Congress slams KCR, deserts JAC

After snapping its ties with the Joint Action Committee (JAC) over “unilateral actions” of the TRS chief K. Chandrasekhar Rao, Congress MLAs from Telangana are gearing up to chart out an independent course on the statehood issue.

They have not only quit the JAC, but also decided against resigning their membership of Assembly and Council. However, they intend to raise the statehood issue time and again. They do not plan to disrupt the legislature, but confront the government, whenever issues concerning the region are raised. “We will not hesitate to corner the government if the region is denied funds. We will demand a lion’s share in the budget for our region,” a senior MLA remarked.

Congress leaders plan to confront the JAC, if attacks on the houses continue. Congress MPs and MLAs are fuming at the unprecedented attacks by pro-Telangana activists on their residences and properties in the region at the behest of the TRS-dominated JAC. The incidents on Monday when a majority of the Congress-elected representatives faced the fury of the protestors climaxed in the exit of Congress from the JAC.

Karimnagar MP Ponnam Prabhakar told The Hindu on Tuesday that Congress leaders bore the humiliation inflicted by the JAC, but the last straw was the stone-pelting on the convoy of Higher Education Minister D. Sridhar Babu in Warangal district last week and the attack on residences of several legislators and MPs.

Mr. Prabhakar charged the JAC convenor M. Kodandaram with behaving as a TRS spokesperson and seeking instructions and directions from KCR, who was imposing his personal views and decisions on the committee. “How can the Congress party, which is the main constituent of the JAC be completely ignored when a decision on resignations were taken?” he asked.

Expresses shock

The Higher Education Minister expressed shock at the attack on the residence of his colleague V. Sunitha Laxma Reddy by the JAC protestors. “She has religiously attended the JAC protest programmes and hunger strike camps but was not spared.”

Venkaiah seeks end to Telangana impasse

The Union government should take an early decision on Telangana and not prolong the stalemate by waiting for the Srikrishna Committee’s report, BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu told reporters here on Monday.

Mr. Naidu said the committee would not serve any purpose. The uncertainty should not be prolonged as it affected Andhra Pradesh’s development. The State was in turmoil and businesses were looking for opportunities outside.

“Creation of a new State is a political issue and has to be decided by leaders of political parties and not by commissions. Appointment of the Srikrishna Commission is not a solution to the problem. We have seen the Pranab Mukherjee Committee and the Rosaiah Committee. This is the third committee…nothing is going to happen [with committees]. It is an exercise in futility,” he said.

On the proposed talks with Pakistan, he wanted to know on whose behest India was pushing itself into talks.

“The BJP wants to know the agenda and purpose of the dialogue. Acts of terror and talks cannot go hand in hand…,” he said.

Telangana row: resignation of 12 MLAs accepted

The resignation of 12 of the 15 MLAs, who had quit on the Telangana issue, has been accepted by Andhra Pradesh Assembly Speaker N Kiran Kumar Reddy.

While resignation of 11 MLAs was accepted by the Speaker on Monday, a TDP MLA's letter to step down was accepted last night.

Fifteen MLAs from Telangana region submitted their resignation to the Speaker yesterday protesting the terms of reference of the Sri Krishna committee appointed by the Centre to go into the statehood issue.

The resignations of two Congress and one PRP MLAs are yet to be disposed of by the Speaker.

The move follows the renewed call of the all-party Telangana Joint Action Committee (JAC) to legislators from the region to submit their resignation en masse, rejecting the ToR.

The JAC said that quitting assembly seats is the only way to mount pressure on the Centre for taking immediate steps for the formation of Telangana.

Violence rocks Osmania University campus again

Violence erupted on the Osmania University campus again on Monday morning with police resorting to lathicharge and lobbing of tear gas shells to quell agitated students who hurled stones on them.

Scores of students including at least five journalists covering the developments were injured in unbridled use of force by the policemen who appeared to have decided to selectively target the media persons.

Tear gas shells were being lobbed at the University College of Arts, the epicentre of the Telangana agitation and situation was very volatile.

The University campus saw a brutal backlash launched by the police on Sunday night in which 30 students, policemen and journalists were injured. The severity with which the police reacted to the developments on the campus attracted all round criticism and the Commissioner of Police, A.K. Khan had offered an unconditional apology to the media personnel who were injured in the lathicharges.

The Home Minister, P. Sabitha Indra Reddy who called on the injured in different hospitals too ordered a high-level inquiry into Sunday night incidents, but the police did not appear to be in a relenting mood, as they went berserk on Monday morning at slightest provocation.

The students were agitated over the refusal of legislators hailing from Telangana to resign from the Assembly.

On Monday morning, students gathered at Hostel ‘B’ which police stormed last night and beat up students. As the number of agitators swelled, police tried to disperse them and this launched another series of confrontations between police forces and students. As students replied with a hail of stones, police lathicharge several times and chased away the students.

Anti-maoist strategy on students:

Caught in the see-saw battles was the media. The Grey Hounds personnel, trained in jungle warfare to fight the Maoists, drafted for duty on the campus put to use the counterinsurgency tactic of making other uninvolved persons as shields. As stone-hurling intensified, the policemen in battle fatigues caught hold of a vernacular TV reporter who was going on a motorcycle and threatened the agitators that they would beat him up if stone pelting was not stopped.

With the agitators continuing to hurl stones, the policemen in full riot-gear thrashed the journalist mercilessly, despite he showing his identity card and pleading them with folded hands. The other journalists who were at a distance could reach the police only after sometime to save him.

Police drafted nearly two battalions of police force (over 2000 personnel) for security on the University campus which was sealed off. The police had put restrictions on movement of media and banned the entry of outdoor broadcast vans of TV channels into the campus already.

Governor skirts Telangana issue in address

Andhra Pradesh Governor E S L Narasimhan did not make any mention about the contentious Telangana statehood issue in his customary address to the State Legislature on the opening day of the Budget Session on Monday.

Rather, he only listed out the numerous development and welfare programmes of the State government in his 40-page address amidst slogan-shouting by Congress and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) members for and against the bifurcation of the state.

TDP members hailing from Telangana boycotted the address protesting the terms of reference of the Sri Krishna committee appointed to go into the separate statehood issue.

A former chief of Intelligence Bureau, Mr. Narasimhan, however, mentioned the “difficult times” in the State in the last few months and stressed on the need for ensuring peace and tranquillity and offering “protection to the life and property of the people.”

“The State has been going through difficult times affecting public order, pace of development and image of the state,” Mr. Narasimhan lamented.

“I fervently appeal to all of you to help in the maintenance of peace and tranquility in the state. As Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru said, ‘without peace, all other dreams vanish and are reduced to ashes,’” the Governor said.

As soon as the Governor began his address, Congress members from Telangana rose to their feet holding placards with the slogan “We want separate Telangana state“.

“They also raised “Jai Telangana” slogans even as some MLAs belonging to TDP raised slogans in support of a united Andhra Pradesh.

Initially, the din lasted less than a minute as other members prevailed upon their colleagues to resume their seats even as the Governor read out his address.

But, midway through the Governor’s address, some Congress members again raised “Jai Telangana” slogans while the TDP members raised the “Jai Samaikya Andhra Pradesh” (unified AP) slogans.

About 15 Congress MLAs and MLCs from Telangana staged a walkout midway through the Governor’s address.

TDP members protested when the Governor referred to some government schemes like Jalayagnam and mid-day meal scheme and other welfare programmes. Congress members thumped the desks hailing the schemes.

MLAs of the Majlis Ittehadul-e-Muslimeen too raised slogans demanding reservation for Muslims.

Earlier, Leader of Opposition N. Chandrababu Naidu, TDP and CPI MLAs did not attend the customary breakfast hosted by the Legislative Council Chairman and the Assembly Speaker ahead of the inauguration of the Budget session.

MIM MLAs and Lok Satta Party MLA N. Jayaprakash Narayan were also conspicuous by their absence at the breakfast meeting.

Chief Minister K. Rosaiah exchanged pleasantries with Praja Rajyam Party chief K. Chiranjeevi and other MLAs present on the occasion.

New industrial policy soon: Rosaiah

Chief Minister K. Rosaiah on Thursday said a new industrial policy focussing on growth and effective from April 1, would be unveiled soon.

He said he would hold a meeting with entrepreneurs and industry doyens before announcing the policy. Though there were lot of opportunities for starting industries in the State, the recent agitations hampered industrial progress.

He was speaking after inaugurating Pennar Industries new facility to manufacture pre-engineered buildings which could be used for setting up industrial facilities, warehouses, commercial centres, multi-storied buildings, aircraft hangars and sports complexes. Major Industries Minister, Kanna Lakshminarayana, Principal Secretary, Industries, Sam Bob and Chief of Consular Affairs, Mark Leoni spoke.

Earlier addressing a press conference here, Chairman , Pennar Industries, Nrupender Rao said that the new facility, Pre-Engineered Buildings System (PEBS) Pennar, set up in Medak district, already has an order book of Rs.60 crore and its sales were expected to go up to Rs.150 crore in the first year of operations. With contribution from PEBS Pennar, the turnover of Pennar Industries was expected to cross Rs.1,100 crore in FY 2011.

The capacity of the Rs.105-crore facility would be doubled from the existing 30,000 tonnes per annum within a year.

TRS asks its MLAs, MPs to resign

The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) has decided that all its MLAs and MPs will forthwith resign to protest against the terms of reference (ToR) of Justice B.N.Srikrishna Committee announced by the Centre on Friday. The party has termed the ToR as completely against the interests of Telangana.

The decision was announced here on Friday by TRS president K. Chandrasekhar Rao after holding consultations with party legislators and other senior leaders. The TRS has two MPs, ten MLAs and one MLC.

Mr. Rao directed all the MLAs who were out of Hyderabad to reach the city by evening. They would draft their resignation letters in the prescribed format and hand them over to Speaker to ensure that they were accepted this time.

Addressing a press conference along with other leaders like E. Rajender, Madhusudhana Chary, A. Chandrasekhar, T. Harish Rao, Vijayashanti and others he said: "The ToR have completely deceived the people of Telangana and amount to their betrayal once again. They are not in favour of Telangana formation and the Centre’s attitude is highly condemnable", he said.

Mr. Rao said one of the terms which states that the Srikrishna Committee would go into the issue of statehood for Telangana as well as continuation of united Andhra Pradesh was reprehensible. "Where is the question of looking into united Andhra Pradesh when it already exists now", he added.

"There is only one movement and it’s Telangana. There is no movement for united AP but only a counter agitation orchestrated by vested interests of Coastal Andhra and Rayalseema leaders", the TRS chief remarked. Driving his point home further he mentioned that when a committee was set up to divide Andhra from Madras State only the opinion of Andhra people was taken and the report was given in a month’s time.

The TRS president said his party had a single point agenda of separate Telangana. Being an independent identity, it was entitled to take a decision of its own without awaiting the outcome of the consultations between the constituents of the Joint Action Committee (JAC), he added.

Congress discusses Srikrishna panel terms

The Congress core committee, headed by party president Sonia Gandhi, on Wednesday discussed the proposed terms of reference of the Justice B.N. Srikrishna Committee, set up to go into the Telangana issue.

Sources said it would take a few more days for the announcement as the matter had to be discussed by the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs.

Meanwhile, Congress Working Committee member K. Keshava Rao welcomed the party decision to appoint a coordination committee, headed by M. Veerappa Moily, in charge of Andhra Pradesh, and said the panel was a balanced one with representation to all regions. There need be no apprehension on this. “No one has the right to challenge the appointment of this committee,” Mr. Rao said, denying that he had commented against it anytime.

Supreme Court moved on Telangana issue

Contending that the Centre has divided the people of Andhra Pradesh by announcing the process for formation of a Telangana State, an advocate has moved the Supreme Court for a direction to stay the process.

A three-judge Bench, comprising Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan and Justices R.M. Lodha and B.S. Chauhan posted the petition filed by Srikakulam-based advocate Bondada Purushottam Yadav for hearing on February 22.

The petition cited Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram’s announcement on December 9, 2009 on initiating the process. On December 23, another announcement was made that the Centre would take steps to involve all concerned in the process. On February 3, a committee headed by the former Supreme Court Judge, Justice B.N. Srikrishna, was constituted for this purpose.

The petitioner submitted that by making such announcements through executive orders, the Centre had divided the people of Andhra Pradesh, resulting in disturbance and violence and damage to public property. He sought a direction to restrain the Centre from initiating the process and to identify those responsible for causing damage to public property.

Telangana: Supreme Court advances hearing

The Supreme Court on Tuesday advanced to February 22 the hearing of a writ petition challenging the announcement made by the Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram on December 9, 2009 relating to a separate Telangana State.

A Bench comprising of Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan and Justices R.M. Lodha and Deepak Verma posted the matter for February 22 on the plea of Bondada Purushottam Yadav, an advocate from Andhra Pradesh, that the matter be listed urgently.

The petition was initially listed for March 29.

In a brief hearing, Mr. Yadav argued that such statements creates rifts among the communities having stakes in the matter and are inimical to the national interests.

The Supreme Court had earlier dismissed a PIL filed by a former Member of Parliament M. Narayan Reddy seeking a direction to the Andhra Pradesh Assembly Speaker to accept the resignation submitted by 139 MLAs on the Telangana issue.

JAC says Pro-Telangana agitation to continue

The pro-Telangana agitation would continue till a Bill is passed in Parliament for the formation of a separate State, all-party Telangana Joint Action Committee (JAC) said here on Friday.

“The agitation will continue till a Bill for the formation of a separate Telangana State is passed in Parliament,” JAC convener C. Kodandaram told reporters during a human chain organised in the city.

The human chain was formed from L.B. Nagar in Hyderabad to Kodada in Nalgonda district as part of the week-long protests being organised by the JAC.

“The objective of the human chain is to show that the people of Telangana are united in demanding the separate State,” Mr. Kodandaram said.

Telugu Desam Party legislator M. Narasimhulu said the Sri Krishna committee appointed by the Centre to go into the issue should be only for the formation of a separate State.

The Centre has appointed the five-member committee, headed by former Supreme Court judge B.N. Srikrishna, but its terms of reference have not yet been announced.

The JAC organised a community kitchen on the Hyderabad-Warangal highway and also the Adilabad district highway on Thursday.

The week-long protests would continue till February 7.

Supreme Court dismisses PIL on MLAs’ resignations over Telangana

Questioning the locus standi of the petitioner, the Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a PIL filed by former Member of Parliament M. Narayana Reddy seeking a direction to the Andhra Pradesh Assembly Speaker to accept the resignation submitted by 139 MLAs on the Telangana issue.

“Who are you? It is very strange that such a petition is being filed. You are not an MLA or MP. What are you? What is the public interest involved in it? Who gave you the right to present petition,” the bench told Mr. Reddy while dismissing the PIL.

The petition comes in the backdrop of reports that the Speaker had already turned down the resignation submitted by the legislators of political parties in the State.

Mr. Reddy in his PIL had contended that the resignation submitted by the MLAs on the issue of Telangana be deemed to have been accepted by the Speaker of the Andhra Pradesh Assembly.

According to the petition, the MLAs belonging to the Telangana irrespective of their political affiliations, had submitted their resignations personally to the Speaker who acknowledged the receipt of 139 letters in this regard but did not act on it.

The former MP had submitted that the issue involved important questions of the Constitution affecting its basic structure, namely the rights and privileges of the MLAs, their freedom of speech and expression and the dignity of the house. However, only Mr. Reddy has been named as a petitioner.

The petitioner alleged the Speaker has neither acted nor sent them to the Assembly Secretariat. The MLAs are from both Telangana and other parts of the State, he added.

“The arbitrary stoic silence of the respondent (Speaker of the House) has resulted in gross violation of Article 14, 19(1) (a) and 190 of the constitution,” the PIL said.

The court was told that resignations were submitted to the Speaker on December 10 and 23 last year.

However, the arguments failed to convince the Supreme Court which dismissed the petition on the ground that Mr. Reddy being neither a sitting MLA nor an MP had no locus standi to approach the court on the issue.

Telangana committee this week: Chidambaram

The Centre on Monday said the Committee on Telangana will be announced this week and there will be no delay in the whole process related to the mechanism.

“We are in the earliest part of the week. I said last week that early this week (the Committee will be announced). Wait for the committee to be announced,” he told a press conference here.

“Committee and the mechanism are synonymous,” Mr. Chidambaram said when asked about the mechanism.

The Home Minister said the government was presently working on drafting the Terms and Reference of the Committee and would announce it. “Terms and reference can’t be kept secret. When we draft it, we will announce and circulate it,” he said.

Last week, Mr.Chidambaram had said the Committee to examine the demand for separate Telangana would be announced this week.

About the law and order situation in the Telangana region, he said there was no major incident of violence, though there were protests in different parts.

“In some places there were fasts, in some places there were local bandhs. But there is no major incident of violence,” he said adding, “Once again I appeal to the students not to take to the streets or commit suicide.”

Mr. Chidambaram said it was the responsibility of parents, teachers and peers to impress upon the students that such steps were completely unwarranted. “We will set up a mechanism that will consult all sections of opinion. Therefore, there is no need for anyone to take any extreme step. On January 5, we said we will set up a mechanism. We are sticking to that. There is no delay,” he said.

SC rejects PIL for acceptance of resignation of MLAs on Telangana issue

The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a PIL seeking direction to the Andhra Pradesh Speaker to either accept or decide on the resignation of over 139 legislators on the Telangana issue.

A bench headed by Chief Justice K. G. Balakrishnan and Justices J. M. Panchal and Deepak Verma said that the petitioner M. Narayana Reddy, a former MP, had no locus standi in the issue.

The apex court said there was no public interest involved in the issue as claimed by the petitioner.

“Who are you? It is very strange. You are not an MLA or MP. What are you? What is the PIL? Who gave you the right to present petition,” the bench grilled Mr. Reddy while dismissing the PIL.

The 139 MLAs, cutting across party lines, are named as petitioners in the matter.

They had submitted their resignation to the Assembly Speaker on December 10 and 23 last year. Andhra Pradesh Assembly has 284 members.

Telangana: PIL in SC to accept MLAs’ resignation

A petition was on Wednesday moved in the Supreme Court contending that the resignation submitted by the MLAs on the issue of Telangana be deemed to have been accepted by the Speaker of the Andhra Pradesh Assembly.

The petition was mentioned before a Bench headed by Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan which declined to advance the date of hearing from February 1 as listed by the registry.

The petition filed by former MP M. Narayana Reddy, claimed that it was filed on behalf of the MLAs, cutting across party lines, who resigned on the Telangana issue.

However, only Mr. Reddy has been named as a petitioner.

Senior advocate Subodh Markandeya, who mentioned the PIL on behalf of Mr. Reddy, claimed that MLAs belonging to Telangana irrespective of their political affiliations, submitted their resignations personally to the Speaker, who acknowledged receipt of 139 letters in this regard.

The petitioner claimed that more than 200 MLAs out of the total strength of 294 in the Assembly submitted letters of resignation but the Speaker has neither acted nor sent them to the Assembly Secretariat. The MLAs are from both Telangana and other parts of the state, he added.

He contended that the issue involved important questions of the constitution affecting its basic structure, namely the rights and privileges of the MLAs, their freedom of speech and expression and the dignity of the house.

“The arbitrary stoic silence of the respondent (Speaker of the house) has resulted in gross violation of Article 14, 19(1) (a) and 190 of the constitution,” the PIL said.

The court was told that resignations were submitted to the Speaker on December 10 and 23 last year.

Congress appeals for calm in Andhra Pradesh

As violence broke out in the Osmania University on the Telangana issue, the Congress on Wednesday appealed for peace and urged politicians to rise above narrow choices for the larger interest of Andhra Pradesh and the nation.

The party issued the appeal at its routine press conference here. Pointing out that an active comprehensive process to draw views and generate consensus “to the extent possible” on the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh was on, party spokesman Abhishek Singhvi said: “It requires an act of statesmanship to rise above narrower personal choices and preferences.”

Asked about the government’s silence on the issue after the January 5 all-party meeting convened by Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram, Mr. Singhvi said there were no quick-fix solutions.

Comprehensive process
Refuting the charge that the Congress had messed up matters, he said: “You are seeing a very measured, calibrated and a very carefully considered response in a very comprehensive process. Let us not oversimplify things and give one-liners. There is a process going on and we all owe it to ourselves and to the people of Andhra Pradesh to contribute to that process rather than look for quick fix magic button solution.”

Just as he was unwilling to speculate on the next course of action the Congress-led government was planning on the vexed issue, Mr. Singhvi refused to be drawn into setting a time frame.

Asked whether any announcement could be expected before January 28 — the deadline set by the Joint Action Committee for Telangana — he urged the media not to confine such a complex issue to time capsules.

Non-committal
Though Mr. Singhvi was non-committal on the time frame, the Congress core group decided last week to lie low on the issue till January 28.

Taking another step before January 28 would send out the message that the party had succumbed to pressure tactics, a perception it wants to avoid after the December 9 statement, which many regard as a panic reaction to Telangana Rashtra Samithi leader K.Chandrasekhara Rao’s fast-unto-death.