Hyderabad: Asserting that the Centre had never said that "it would "give or not give" a separate Telangana state, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Saturday said that the union government would take a decision on statehood when the 'time and occasion' come. He also said that any resolution in the state Assembly (on Telangana) could be taken up only on the directive of the Centre.
"The Centre had only said On December 9, 2009 that it would get a resolution adopted in AP Assembly but never said it would give or not give Telangana (state). The resolution at that time was not possible because of different (political) reactions," the Chief Minister recalled while speaking in the assembly on Saturday.
"Any decision on Telangana will impact many things across the country. Hence the Centre will take a decision when the 'time and occasion' come," the Chief Minister noted. As the Congress came under severe attack in the Assembly on Saturday from a combined opposition over its "indecisiveness" on Telangana, the Chief Minister sought to put up a spirited defence maintaining that his party only agreed to constitute a second States Reorganisation Commission (SRC)to look into the demands for formation of smaller states.
"Telangana is a sensitive and complicated issue. The Centre will take a decision taking people, state and country's interests into consideration. We have to remain patient till the Centres takes a decision. Whatever decision the Centre takes, that will be our party's stand," Kiran stated. Refuting Telangana Rashtra Samiti MLA T Harish Rao's contention that the Congress went back on its promise of granting statehood for Telangana region, the Chief Minister said what was agreed was only the constitution of a second SRC.
"That was the agreement signed between Congress and TRS on the eve of 2004 elections when we forged an alliance. I don't know what happened in private between leaders of the two parties," Kiran added. The Telangana issue came up for discussion during the course of a debate on the arrest of two TRS MLAs and Joint Action Committee leaders in connection with the 'sadak bandh' agitation on March 21, 2013.
All the opposition parties denounced the arrests while TRS accused the government of adopting a vindictive attitude. Home Minister P Sabita Indra Reddy, who made a statement on the incident, refuted the allegations and said the arrests were made in accordance with the law.
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