By IANS,
Hyderabad : Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy and leader of opposition N. Chandrababu Naidu Tuesday said it was for the central government to take a decision on the demand for separate statehood to Telangana.
The chief minister told the state assembly that the state government would abide by whatever decision the central government takes on the issue after seeking opinion of all parties on Srikrishna committee’s report.
He said this amid furore in the house by Telangana legislators demanding a resolution for carving out Telangana state.
Amid slogan-shouting by members of the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) and Telangana legislators of Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Kiran Kumar spoke on the motion of thanks to the governor for his address.
In an unprecedented development, the house passed the motion without any debate as the opposition tried to stall the proceedings for the third consecutive day.
“The Telangana issue is not a new issue. It is there for 50 years but the state government can’t take any decision on this,” he said and appealed to the opposition parties to cooperate with the government in continuing the development and welfare programmes.
The chief minister said the governor was an individual but an institution and an attack on him amounts to attack on democracy.
He was referring to the ruckus created by Telangana legislators during Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan’s address to the joint session of the state legislature Feb 17.
Interestingly, leader of opposition and TDP chief N. Chandrababu Naidu agreed with Kiran Kumar on the Telangana issue when he told reporters that the central government should immediately take a decision.
“It is for the central government to take a decision on the report of Srikrishna committee,” he said and blamed the delay on part of the central government for the current situation in the state.
Both Kiran Kumar and Naidu come from Rayalaseema region and are under pressure from Telangana cadres of their parties to back the demand for separate state.
Naidu said his party would respect the sentiments of the people of both Telangana and Seemaandhra (Rayalaseema and Andhra regions). He advised party leaders in both the regions not to do anything which damages the party.