Union Health Minister and former AICC in-charge of State Congress Affairs Ghulam Nabi Azad, who arrived here to attend an official program has gone into a huddle with Congress leaders and inquired about the way debate on Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Bill 2013. Azad arrived here to deliver a memorial lecture on former Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao.
It may be mentioned here that the party high command, which made it clear through Union Home Ministry on Tuesday that the Centre will go ahead with its process of bifurcation, whether or not Assembly sends its opinion. At this juncture, Azad’s tour to Hyderabad assumes significance as the Assembly was being adjourned for fourth consecutive day followed by pandemonium. The Union Minister, who flew in here this afternoon and drove straightaway to Gandhi Bhavan, senior leaders from both Telangana and Seemandhra regions called on him and reportedly narrated their tales of woe with regard to the bill.
Deputy Chief Minister Damodar Rajanarasimha, senior party leaders D Srinivas, K Jana Reddy, Shabbir Ali, Danam Nagender, Mukhesh and others called on Azad and said to have complained to him about deliberate attempts of Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and Seemandhra leaders, including the Congress, the Telugu Desam and YSRCP for obstructing debate on the T Bill. Interestingly, former minister Shabbir Ali, who is a close friend of Azad, is said to have informed the Union minister about the nefarious designs of Seemandhra leaders against the debate. Therefore, Azad said to have pulled up the Seemandhra Congress leaders for their deliberate attempts to stall the debate. They are said to have appealed to him to impress upon the Centre to take action against defying Seemandhra leaders and protect the image of the party. However, the Union minister is understood to have said the Centre was not in a hasty mood to initiate action. Similarly, Seemandhra leaders called on Azad and expressed their discontent over lapses in the bill which needs amendments.
According to sources, the Union Minister reprimanded some Seemandhra leaders as they failed to fall in line with the party high command. He is understood to have given them a dressing down in rather a smooth manner and asked them to send the opinion to the President to ensure that the bill gets passed in Parliament in February first week as it was already declared.
The high command, though worried over persistent defiance of Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, who is still making every effort to stall the bill, could not take any stringent step against him. Keeping this in view, Azad is learnt to have suggested to the government to send the opinion without delay and seeking more time is irrelevant. Despite all efforts to convince, Kiran Kumar Reddy did not budge and going ahead with his own agenda to oppose the bill. The high command is keen on carving out Telangana and President Pranab Mukherjee sent its draft bill for opinion, whose visit to the city assumes signficance at a time when the Assembly is witnessing ruckus for recurrent disturbances by Seemandhra leaders.
On ascertaining the mood of the Chief Minister, TDP and YSRCP members, Azad said to have convinced them about the determination of the Centre on keeping its promise of giving statehood to Telangana despite any hurdles created by the State Congress. The Union minister reportedly said the Speaker would send a report of the opinion to the President. (NSS)