UPA should immediately introduce Telangana bill in Parl: BJP

New Delhi: Suspecting UPA's intentions on Telangana, BJP today said the government should immediately introduce the bill in Parliament after balancing the interests of both regions as it is looking forward to supporting it.

Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley expressed apprehensions that the way UPA is prolonging the issue of Telangana formation, it may render it infructuous the under UPA regime as only six working days are left for the current session of Parliament to end.

Representational image. AFP

"I have a lurking suspicion that the UPA is prolonging the issue. Is the eventual intent of the UPA to make the issue of creation of Telangana infructuous in the present session and consequently in the UPA rule?," he said in an article.

Jaitley said issues such as formation of states create a strong underlying sentiment and it is unfair for political parties to create an aspiration and not fulfil it.

"The UPA should immediately introduce the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization) Bill for ratification of the both Houses of Parliament. It must ensure that to the extent possible, it
balances the interests of both the regions and that the Bill is constitutionally compliant. I am looking forward to support the Bill," he said.

The BJP leader charged the Congress-led government with flip-flop on Telangana creation for the past decade as it had promised the same in 2004 but Union Minister P Chidambaram made the announcement about government deciding, in principle, to create the state of Telangana only in 2009.

He said the government then "backtracked" and instead appointed the Justice Sri Krishna Committee to examine the entire issue, which he alleged led to nowhere.

The UPA in 2013 again took a decision, in principle, to create the state of Telangana and the cabinet "belatedly" endorsed it.

Jaitley alleged that due to the government's decision, the present session of Parliament is unable to proceed effectively on account of the favourable and the negative reactions.

He said BJP has categorically stated that it is in favour of creation of a separate state of Telangana but have sought that legitimate concerns of people of Seemandhra be addressed.

"Reconciliation of both these efforts is neither difficult nor impossible. Regrettably, the UPA has not taken effective steps in this direction," he said.

PTI