No justification for Rayala-Telangana, says Jagan

Rejecting the proposal for carving out a Rayala-Telangana state, YSR Congress party chief Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy Tuesday alleged Congress wants to add two more districts of Rayalaseema to Telangana to increase its seats and votes.

He wondered who has given the right to the Congress to divide Rayalaseema.

"I don't understand what is the justification for Rayala-Telangana. Congress people don't know what they are doing," he said on the reported proposal of the central government to merge Anantapur and Kurnool districts of Rayalaseema with Telangana.

Jagan, as the MP from Kadapa (in Rayalaseema) is popularly known, accused Congress of doing this for the sake of some more seats and votes. "What nonsense is this?" he asked.

Talking to reporters, he advised Congress to add all districts to Telangana and rename Andhra Pradesh as Telangana instead of bifurcating the state.

Jagan called for an amendment to Article 3 of the Constitution to prevent division of states by the centre.

He appealed to all the states and political parties to undo the injustice being done to Andhra Pradesh.

"If you let this happen today, tomorrow it will be your turn. Anybody in power with 270 seats in parliament will divide any state in a similar manner for sake of votes and seats," he said.

Jagan said the constitutional amendment should be brought to ensure that no state is divided without a resolution being passed in the concerned assembly with two-third majority and without the parliament ratifying the same with two-third majority.

The YSR Congress Party leader claimed that there was a link between the attempts to divide Andhra Pradesh and the final judgment of Brijesh Kumar tribunal over sharing of Krishna river water.

He said after Congress president Sonia Gandhi announced the decision to carve out Telangana state in 2009 on her birthday (Dec 9), the tribunal gave its interim order.

"Now a few days before Dec 9, this order has come. They want to hurry the entire process by Dec 9," he said alleging that Congress has used its power to influence the tribunal to facilitate the division.

Jagan said since there was a controversy on surplus water, Congress ensured through the tribunal order that it does not does not arise while the state is being divided. He said the state was deprived of surplus water.