Telangana Bill not rejected by AP assembly, it was sent for comments: Digvijay Singh

Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh on Thursday said that the constitutional requirements of getting comments from the Andhra Pradesh state assembly on the Telangana Bill has been fulfilled, and added that that the Central Government will have to introduce the Bill in Parliament.

"The Andhra Pradesh assembly has debated, discussed and has given comments on the bill which was referred to the honorable assembly by the President. After the extension of one week today, the bill will be returned to the President. The constitutional requirement of getting comments from the AP assembly has been fulfilled," he told media here today.

"Now it is for the Government of India to introduce the bill in the parliament after the Cabinet goes through the recommendations, suggestions given by the members of the AP assembly. The process has completed another milestone which was necessary for the bifurcation of the state. As far as the resolution was concerned, it doesn't affect the constitutional provisions under Article 3 for the creation of a new state in the Indian union," he added.

He further said that the Telangana Bill was not rejected by the Andhra Pradesh state assembly, stating that it was only sent for comments.

"Telangana Bill was not rejected, it is not voted. A resolution moved by the Chief Minister was passed by voice vote. The Bill was sent for comments, and not on the vote on the Bill," he added.

Earlier in the day, Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) President K T Rama Rao expressed confidence that the Bill will be passed in Parliament with a two-thirds majority.

"What we are hopeful, that irrespective of what the AP assembly may have resolved, one thing remains a fact, the discussion on the Bill has been completed, the Bill has been sent back in the stipulated time. The Parliament has to get this Bill through the Cabinet. Once the Bill is introduced in Parliament, we know it for a fact that it will be passed with a two-thirds majority," he told media here today.

On December 5, last year, the Cabinet cleared the Parliamentary bill for bifurcating the Andhra Pradesh to create a separate Telangana state, with 10 districts.

In July last year, the ruling Congress party approved the creation of a new Telangana state, which had raised fears of violence in the area.