BJP hoodwinks AP people

Stalls KVP’s Pvt Member Bill for Special Status to AP in ‘larger national interests’

The ruse of "larger good and national interests' was effectively deployed by the BJP in the Rajya Sabha to stall the crucial Private Member's Bill of Dr K V P Ramachandra Rao on Friday to hoodwink the people of Andhra Pradesh brazenly, paving way for a fresh bout of mudslinging.

What came in handy for it in doing so was the intemperate, or even foolish escapade, of an MP of the Aam Aadmi Party in live streaming of the Parliament security on Facebook. The BJP which sought to cleverly divert the attention of Parliament from the Una dalit attack and from the uproar across the nation over one of its leader's insensible attack on Mayawati, grabbed the opportunity to stall all business including that of the session of the RS on Private Member's Bill, which was unprecedented.

The stung Members of the Opposition who rallied behind the Bill to protect the interests of Andhra Pradesh lashed out at the BJP cutting across party lines for setting a bad precedent. The Congress was suspicious of the BJP intent and hence was trying to corner the TDP asking it to declare its intent on the Special Status.

It did not hesitate to openly acknowledge that it had betrayed the people of AP in the past, but was pleading for atonement. Its purpose was to drive a wedge between the BJP and the TDP to some extent by mounting pressure on the latter. TDP took shelter behind the argument that "though the Bill was a waste paper, it decided to support it in the interests of the State".

The breather available now till next such occasion for the parties will be used in rating their performances. The Congress feels it has regained a street space in AP for now. The TDP leadership is not exactly sure whether it could snub the Congress sufficiently, but it believes feels it could always convince people back home that the Congress's failure to settle the issue with the BJP and its disinterest in insisting on the Private Member's Bill to be taken up first would see it through the turbulence.

Moreover, it feels that it is the BJP that has lost its face. But the Congress has no plans to keep TDP off the leash and taunted it further with a rider this evening. "You want to garner all credit, do it. Bring your own Bill and get the Act amended. We will withdraw and salute your commitment to AP." TDP's own reaction to BJP's move was muted. All that it could claim was that the Congress should have sorted out the issue with the BJP during the Business Advisory Meeting in the morning itself.

It was trying to hard-sell its view point that the Congress should have allowed the Mann issue to be taken up first and the Bill could have followed. However, it found few takers. All the parties now live to fight their battles yet another day - August 5 - when the Bill is expected to come up again. With Rahul Gandhi congratulating his party men later in the evening only to egg them on to keep up the pressure, it cannot be a cakewalk for the ruling combine. Whether it is a waste paper or not, the Bill would be prickly to the Opponents as long as it sits around.

For record sake, till date, Parliament has passed 15 Private Members’ Bills. Six of these were passed in 1956 alone and 47 years after passing ‘The Supreme Court (Enlargement of Criminal Appellate Jurisdiction) Bill, 1968’ that became an Act on 9 August 1970. Rajya Sabha has passed Rights of Transgender Persons Bill, 2014 on April 24, 2015, which the Cabinet had cleared just two days ago.

By W Chandrakanth