Hyderabad: The issue of placing Hyderabad’s law and order and other key administrative powers in the hands of the governor is threatening to develop into a flashpoint between the Telangana state government and the federal government.
The state’s ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) sees the move as designed to accord preferential treatment to Andhra Pradesh, where the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) is a partner in the BJP-led coalition in power in New Delhi.
With Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao asking his party’s MPs to raise the issue and protest against what he called the federal government usurping the powers of the state, things appear to be headed for a showdown.
While other opposition members stalled the proceedings of the Lok Sabha, the lower house of parliament, today on the first day of the budget session, TRS members rushed into the Well of the House opposing the proposed amendment to the AP Reorganisation Act and shouted slogans against the federal government.
The issue came into sharp focus after the federal government responded with alacrity to a letter from AP chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu seeking the federal government’s intervention and more powers for the governor to protect the property and liberty of people from his state living in Hyderabad.
Naidu’s letter came in the backdrop of the Telangana government launching a demolition drive against the illegal encroachments on lands around Hyderabad. Illegal constructions on prime land belonging to Grukul Trust in the Hitec City came under fire from the TDP as the properties targeted belonged to people from Andhra Pradesh. The Telangana government has also withdrawn the land allotted in the past to Andhra Pradesh government employees in Hyderabad.
Responding quickly to Naidu’s letter to the Prime Minister, the federal home ministry sent a circular to the Telangana government seeking its opinion on a proposal to increase the powers of the governor.
The circular has suggested an amendment to Section 8 of the AP State Reorganisation Act 2014 empowering the governor to review the decisions of the Telangana government relating to law and order in Hyderabad. The circular suggested constitution of a common police board with absolute powers to the governor in regards to the law and order in Hyderabad. The draft rules also include more powers to the governor to appoint and transfer police officials and scrutinise criminal investigation files. “He [the governors] shall after consulting Telangana ministers exercise his judgement as to the action to be taken. The decision of the governor shall be final and validity can not be called in question,” the circular said.
Section 8 of the AP State Reorganisation Act 2014 has already empowered the governor with law and order, internal security and security of vital installations, and management and allocation of government buildings in Hyderabad, the common capital of the two states for the next ten years.
Telangana chief minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao has taken strong objection to the federal government’s circular. “This is a direct intervention in the affairs of the state government and curtailing of state’s power in violation of constitution,” he said.
K. Chandrashekhar Rao called on his party MPs to enlist the support of the other regional parties on the issue and warned that the move could set a precedent and be extended to other states if it was not opposed strongly.
Senior TRS leader and member of Rajya Sabha K. Keshav Rao said his party saw the move as encroaching upon the rights and privileges of the state by the federal government.
The state’s minister for Panchayat Raj and Information Technology K. Taraka Rama Rao told the reporters in Hyderabad on Monday that the state would never accept or tolerate any such action by the federal government to take away the powers of the state. “Prime Minister Narendar Modi was a chief minister of a state till recently and he fully knows the powers of the states,” he said holding Andhra Pradesh chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu responsible for the controversy. “Naidu still thinks of himself as the chief minister of old Andhra Pradesh. He should stop interfering in affairs of Telangana.”
K. Taraka Rama Rao wondered whether Naidu had any stake in the properties on Gurkul lands, which were demolished by the Telangana government.
Meanwhile, in a related development, federal Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday requested the Lok Sabha Speaker to put on hold the AP State Reorganisation Amendment Bill seeking the transfer of seven areas of Khammam district of Telangana to Andhra Pradesh. Later, he referred the amendment bill to President Pranab Mukherji for his opinion.
The move came after the TRS gave a notice to the Lok Sabha Speaker opposing the bill and argued that to change the borders of a state, the bill should be first sent to the assembly of the concerned state.
Meanwhile, Telangana BJP president G. Kishan Reddy said that the move to give law and order powers to the governor were nothing new and that they were part of the State Reorganisation Act passed by the UPA government. “When we objected to this at the time, the TRS said that achieving Telangana state was sufficient. Now they are blaming the BJP for this”, he said.
