Cutting across party lines, Seemandhra leaders along with the PCC chief have raised their pitch for Union territory status to Hyderabad.
Published: 03rd August 2013 07:46 AM | Last Updated: 03rd August 2013 08:56 AM
A day after resignations began to pour in from Seemandhra leaders, the debate on the division of State is slowly but surely veering towards Union Territory status for Hyderabad.
It appears that after reconciling themselves to the fact that the Congress high command is firm on dividing the State, Seemandhra leaders have focused attention on the next best option. It was evident from statements made by Congress and TDP MPs who vied with each other to resign Friday. For instance, the moment they resigned, six Congress MPs — KVP Ramachandra Rao, Lagadapati Rajagopal, Ananta Venkatarami Reddy, Vundavalli Arun Kumar, A Sai Pratap and GV Harsha Kumar — almost demanded UT status for Hyderabad. “Rayalaseema had sacrificed the capital for the sake of Andhra Pradesh. Where can we go now, if we are asked to pack up from Hyderabad after 60 years? None of us is prepared to give up our right on Hyderabad,” asserted Venkatarami Reddy. Harsha Kumar pointed out Hyderabad was the only well developed city in 60-year-old Andhra Pradesh.
“It is indisputable that Hyderabad has been transformed into a large metropolis due to the collective efforts of people of three regions. So, it is not proper to straight away give it to Telangana. The city should be made a UT for the sake of all the three regions and the two new states should build their own capitals,” opined the Amalapuram MP. When four Union ministers from Seemandhra, MM Pallam Raju, Purandeswari, JD Seelam and Killi Krupa Rani, met AICC state affairs incharge Digvijaya Singh in Delhi in the afternoon, sources said, they placed their arguments specifically on Hyderabad. Later, Krupa Rani disclosed that they had sought UT status for Hyderabad. “He responded positively,” she added.
PCC chief Botcha Satyanarayana, speaking to the media at Gandhi Bhavan, echoed the same views, observing that in the 60 years of Andhra Pradesh, the capital had emerged as an industrial hub and 70 per cent of employment opportunities in the entire state were generated from the city alone.
TDP MPs from Seemandhra, who put in their papers later in the day demanding a “fair deal” for their respective regions, too made a similar demand. Party Rajya Sabha member and NTR’s son N Harikrishna indirectly spoke along similar lines. YSRC leader Sharmila also said, “Hyderabad should either be made a UT or a permanent joint capital for both states. Ten years as joint capital is not sufficient. The Centre has not laid out clear safeguards for the protection of Seemandhra settlers in Hyderabad.”
This rising demand has had ministers from the city, Danam Nagender and M Mukesh Goud, better known as Hyderabad brothers, worried. For, in such a scenario, they would be the first casualties. Nagender said they will not agree to make Hyderabad a UT. Whatever the debate in State, in New Delhi, Digvijaya Singh said the Centre would lend a helping hand to Seemandhra to build a capital larger than Hyderabad.
Even though the Congress working committee resolution is silent on making Hyderabad a UT, Seemandhra Congress leaders are hopeful their demand will be met when the Union Cabinet prepares a note on the T issue. “As Hyderabad will be the common capital for Telangana and the residuary state of AP for 10 years, law and order will have to be looked after by the Centre for that period. So, we are confident the city will definitely become a UT,” a Congress leader said.
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