TRS stalls LS over separate HC

New Delhi /Hyderabad: TRS members on Tuesday disrupted the proceedings in the Lok Sabha demanding a separate High Court for Telangana leading to adjournments of the House several times.Amidst noisy scenes and slogan-shouting by the TRS members, Union Minister for Law Sadananda Gowda assured to convene a meeting of all the MPs from the state within a fortnight to resolve the issue.

He pointed out that the process of creating a separate High Court for Telangana was bogged down due to a PIL in the High Court of Hyderabad. Despite the assurance by the Union Law Minister to resolve the issue at the earliest, the TRS members insisted for a categorical date for completing the process of setting up of the High Court for Telangana. They stormed into the podium of the House and continued their slogan-shouting and virtually prevented other members from raising other issues during the Zero Hour.

Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, after repeatedly trying in vain to persuade the TRS members to resume their seats and allow the proceedings to continue in a clam and peaceful atmosphere, adjourned the House for a second time till 2 p.m. Earlier, as the House commenced the day’s proceedings, the TRS members holding placards stormed into the podium and raised slogans of “Jai Telangana” “We want High Court” and “We want justice”.

The Speaker tried to restore order in the House by appealing to the protesting members to go back to their seats and allow the proceedings to commence. While the TRS members protested on the issue of separate High Court for Telangana, the other Opposition members insisted for a discussion on the ghastly incident of rape and murder of a young girl in Punjab. The Congress even moved an adjournment motion in both the Houses of Parliament on the issue.

The Speaker remained firm and unyielding and made it amply clear that during the question hour other issues could not be taken up and pointed out that if the members wanted they could raise their issues during the zero hour. As the noisy scenes continued, the House was adjourned for 10 minutes.When the House reassembled there was no let up in the situation and pandemonium continued to prevail with TRS members raising slogans.

Amidst the din the question hour was completed and zero hour taken up. The Speaker firmly told the TRS members to go back to their seats and that only then she would permit them to raise the issue. The TRS members had no other alternative but to return to their respective seats and Jitender Reddy then pointed out that as per the AP Reorganization Act, a separate High Court has to be carved out of the present High Court.

There has been undue delay in the matter forcing the advocates to boycott court work for over 45 days and the number of cases was piling up. He said that of the 29 judges in the present High Court, only six belonged to Telangana. Jitender Reddy further pointed out that numerous delegations of members of the bar association and TRS MPs have called on the Law Minister only to be given assurances of setting up of a separate High Court but in practice no action has been initiated till date. As a matter of fact, the Telangana Chief Minister had also assured to give the present premises of the High Court to AP State and to move over to a suitable place in Gachibowli area for setting up of the Telangana High Court.

Despite this, the Centre has been dallying on the issue, he charged. Sadananda Gowda explained that the Central government was committed to fulfill its promise of creating a separate High Court for Telangana in accordance with the Reorganization Act. He in fact had a detailed discussion with the Chief Ministers of both the states but unfortunately the process got bogged down due to a PIL in the High Court of Hyderabad.

Since the matter is sub judice he cannot make any commitment but once the PIL is cleared, the government will initiate all measures to create a separate High Court for Telangana. The TRS members pointed out that the PIL was disposed off by the High Court three days back and hence wanted the Central government to complete the formalities by writing a letter to the President of India in this regard.

The Law Minister pointed out that there should be wider consultations in this regard and hence a meeting of the MPs would be convened shortly besides having consultations with the CMs of both the states and the Chief Justice of the High Court at Hyderabad . He reiterated that the Centre was committed to create a High Court for Telangana.