Rajya Sabha witnesses heated debate on Telangana

Heated discussion took place on the private bill on Telangana moved by the Bharatiya Janata Party’s member Prakash Javedkar in the Rajya Sabha on Friday.

Moving the bill, Prakash Javedkar slammed the government for its failure to honour Union Home Minister P Chidambaram’s promise on Telangana State. He said that the government has not even moved an inch towards beginning the process for formation of Telangana State since the announcement of Chidambaram on December 9, 2009. Demanding that the government make its stand clear on the statehood issue, he said that the employees of State Government have participated in the agitation at a large scale and more than 800 students ended their lives for the cause of Telangana.

Stating that first States Reorganization Commission recommended the formation of separate Telangana state, he pointed out the SRC opposed merging of Telangana into Andhra State. He said that there was no need for setting up of second SRC or any committees for the formation of Telangana now.

Participating in the discussion, Telugu Desam Rajya Sabha member T Devender Goud said that serious conditions prevailed in Telangana region due to the attitude of Centre over the issue. Demanding the Centre to make a clear statement on the issue, he said that the people of region have been agitating for the statehood for the last 60 years.

Accusing the government of cheating the people of Telangana without making its stand clear, he said the Centre was responsible for the suicides in the region. He said people in the region were not demanding a separate country, but the restoration of boundaries that it enjoyed before merger with Andhra region.

Devender Goud accused the Centre of delaying Telangana state issue in order to get political mileage in the ensuing general elections. At least now the Centre take up responsibility of forming separate state and fulfill the wishes of people, he said.

Rajya Sabha member K V P Ramachandra Rao came down heavily on the BJP for retracting its Telangana resolution moved in Kakinada conference in 1998 after NDA government assumed power at the Centre. He demanded that the BJP to give explanation to Telangana people why it has backed out from the resolution.

Finding no fault with the people of region demanding separate Telangana state, he said, the government has focused its attention on the development of backward regions. Stating that united Andhra Pradesh registered a good GDP rate, he said that the vested elements were raising the Telangana issue to get mileage on it.