Hyderabad, Dec 7 (IANS) In an open revolt against Congress leadership for the decision to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh, Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy Saturday said he would see how a bill defeated in the state assembly would be tabled in parliament.
With the central government sending the bill for formation of Telangana state to the President Pranab Mukherjee and the later likely to refer it soon to the state assembly, the chief minister said the bill would be defeated in the assembly.
"We will see how a defeated bill will be tabled in the parliament," the chief minister told a public meeting at Vijayawada after dedicating the Pulichintala project built across Krishna river to the nation.
Kiran Reddy wanted to know from the party leadership if the people committed a crime by supporting the Congress in difficult times that it is now dividing the state. He pointed out that it was people's support which brought Congress back to power in 2004 and 2009.
"Will you divide the state just because KCR (TRS chief K. Chandrasekhara Rao) wants it," he asked and even advised the leadership to make KCR or YSR Congress party chief Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy or Telugu Desam president N. Chandrababu the chief minister but keep the state united.
While making it clear that he would never accept the division, he said it was still not too late and the the central government should reconsider the decision.
The chief minister alleged that the central government was ignoring a massive public movement in Seemandhra (Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra) to keep the state united.
"More than 6.5 lakh employees were on strike for 70 to 80 days and three to four lakh people were on streets every day but it seems they (the central government) had closed their eyes and ears," he said.
Though Kiran Reddy had been speaking out against the party decision for last three months, this was his first reaction after Thursday's union cabinet meeting, which approved draft Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill.
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