No meet, only Bill, says BJP

The state unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday has made it clear that it opposes and will boycott the all-party meeting that is scheduled to be held on January 6 in New Delhi to discuss the Justice Srikrishna Committee Report before it is made public.

Terming the Srikrishna Panel as a defunct and ‘waste Committee’ the BJP state unit president and Floor Leader G Kishen Reddy came down heavily on the ruling party for ignoring the plea of his party which opposed the ‘Panel’ on the separate statehood demand right from the beginning as they were prepared to support a Bill on Telangana in Parliament.

Talking to media persons at the state Secretariat, Mr Kishen Reddy recalled that BJP Lok Sabha leader Sushma Swaraj and party former president Venkaiah Naidu had unequivocally extended their party’s support in the event of a Telangana Bill coming up in Parliament.

Both the BJP national leaders informed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to consider the issue in the larger interests of the people as their party favoured small states.

Telangana statehood is one such important issue as 410 people had died so far because of the hoodwinking nature of the ruling party, said Mr Kishen Reddy.

He pointed out that in 1969 itself, 264 students died in the name of Telangana statehood. The BJP leader lashed out at the Congress leadership for not implementing the Justice Fazal Ali Commission Report in 1955 which had specifically detailed the then government its findings in AP and the modalities for an agreement on merger of Telangana.

The UPA government at the Centre did not implement its manifesto which had specifically mentioned Telangana and Common Minimum Programme regarding Telangana statehood, the BJP leader said. He added that in 1986 again, the GO 610 was issued and it also had been put on the backburner.

In 2004 too, the Congress promised in its manifesto in terms of separate statehood for Telangana but had backtracked, Mr Kishen Reddy said.

He added that in 2009 again, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram assured to start the ‘process’ on Telangana but he also backtracked. This was how the Congress party at the centre chose to waste time and postpone a decision on the burning issue, the BJP leader said.

He questioned that, “Was it justifiable for the Congress rulers in a democracy to sidetrack the issue raised by crores of people on flimsy grounds.”

“Our party national leaders appealed to the ruling party to introduce the Bill on Telangana. We also categorically stated we will support it in Parliament,” said Mr Kishen Reddy.

But for reasons best known to them, the BJP’s plea was not considered by the Congress government despite 98 percent people favouring it, observed the BJP leader.

Further, dumping the paramilitary and border security forces in the state, particularly in front of Secretariat attracted his criticism.

“Was there a bloody stir launched here or was the protest from pro-Telangana leaders involved bloodshed to bring in Central forces,” Mr Kishen Reddy asked and condemned the stationing of the Central forces which were supposed to guard and maintain security at the international borders with Bangladesh and Pakistan.

The Congress in essence backstabbed the party and the affected people despite the NDA leaders except Shiv Sena unconditionally supported the bill on Telangana, the BJP leader said.

Mr Kishen Reddy also addressed a letter to Mr Chidambaram specifying that the January 6 meeting was of no consequence and urged him to initiate a political decision instead of causing inordinate delay further to address the problem.