BJP floor leader E Lakshminarayana on Saturday welcomed the State Reorganisation Bill and demanded that the same be sent to the Centre after completing the debate in the Assembly.
Participating in the debate in the State Legislative Assembly, Lakshminarayana said that the people of Telangana came under rule of Seemandhra people immediately after they were liberated from the atrocities of Nizam and Razakars. He claimed that the statehood movement launched by Marri Chenna Reddy was stopped by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi with force. He attributed the success of present Telangana movement to over 1100 people who sacrificed their lives for the cause.
Lakshminarayana slammed the political parties for stalling the proceedings of the Assembly to prevent debate on Telangana Bill. He reiterated his party’s support to Telangana and said that it was the BJP that gave “One State, Two States” slogan in 1999. However, he said that the BJP could not form Telangana due to its alliance with the TDP although it created three other States.
At this stage, TDP’s Gali Muddu Krishnamma Naidu intervened and said the then Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani has said that a region housing State capital could not be divided. Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy too intervened on the issue and asked the BJP to clarify whether Advani made the statement as the BJP leader or his capacity as Lok Sabha MP.
Continuing his speech, Lakshminarayana said that formation of Telangana is inevitable. He said that there was no agitation in Seemandhra region and there was no opposition to the division of the State by the people. (INN)