No going back: Kiran

Neither supports Seemandhra nor opposes Telangana, but stands for United AP

• Says he will express his views during debate of the Bill
• T Bill only tabled, discussion not started
• Asks presiding officers to study procedure followed in 3 northern states
• Asked whether the game is up, he says last ball yet to come
• How will we express our opinion without voting?

Hyderabad: Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Thursday tried to rebut the criticism by Opposition leaders from Seemandhra region that he had fallen in line with the Congress high command and hence was not present in the State Assembly when the draft T Bill was tabled. He said that he would express his views when the House reconvenes and takes up the Bill.

Speaking in the Council, Kiran urged Chairman A Chakrapani to convene another BAC and decide the procedure that needed to be followed to take up the discussion on the draft T Bill. He urged the Chairman to study the procedure adopted by Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh when the draft Bill was discussed by those state Assemblies.

Kiran Kumar Reddy called upon the members to show utmost restraint during the debate and said that solutions to all issues could be found through discussion. At the same time, he asked the members to move amendments to the Bill if they found any inconsistencies or discrepancies. He also read out details of how the UP Assembly and Bihar Council transacted the business when the reorganisation Bills of respective states were referred to them by the President of India.

He reminded that the ministers of legislative affairs of the states concerned had moved the Bill in their respective Assemblies.

In the case of Andhra Pradesh, he said the bill had only been tabled and was yet to be taken up for consideration.

Later in an informal talk with the media, Kiran categorically stated that the discussion on the Bill had not begun and hence it was decided that the legislature would meet again from January 3. He said he had sent copies of the procedure followed by the three north Indian state assemblies to both the presiding officers for their perusal. “We have to follow the Constitution, procedures, practices and rules while taking up the debate on the T-Bill,” Kiran said. Asked if he agrees that the game was over, Kiran said, "The last ball is not yet bowled. There is so much to be done...a lot is left. The match is yet to end. I am a fighter and I don’t give up till the end. You will see in the days to come how I will express my views on the issue of bifurcation of the State when the House debates the T-Bill," he said. Referring to the criticism by opposition parties for his being absent when the Speaker tabled the T Bill, Kiran said, nobody can question his sincerity towards keeping the state united. “I am neither supporting Seemandhra nor opposing Telangana. I want AP to remain as it is in the best interests and welfare of people of all regions," he said. Stating that he could not attend the House on Monday as he was unwell, Kiran said that he stands by what he had said at one of the Rachabanda programmes. Kiran it may be recalled had said that he could not stop the cyclone but would stall the storm called bifurcation.

“When I told my party high command, the AICC president and the core committee to keep the state united, where is the question of my going back on my stand now,” he asked. Asked if he would insist on division during the discussion, Kiran said he would demand voting on every clause and it was for the Assembly and Council to decide whether the state should be bifurcated or not.

When a scribe asked how he can insist on voting when the President of India had referred the Bill to the legislature to express its opinion, Kiran shot back saying, “What is the meaning of expressing views? How can one say what are the views of the House unless there is voting on various provisions of the Bill. Expressing views means nothing but voting," he added.

He further said that he would send the representations received from the Seemandhra MLAs seeking clarifications on various issues related to the bill to the central government so that they can have a meaningful discussion.