Keep AP united: Vijayamma writes to Shinde

"Doing justice to one region does not mean causing injustice to the other regions. This fundamental principle was ignored by Congress Party which has priorities in votes and seats. It is not fair on the part of the Centre to keep with it the powers of restructuring any State unless it can take decisions that would be agreeable to all the concerned parties without injustice to any region. This is the view expressed by three political parties‐ YSR Congress Party, MIM and CPI (M). If you cannot do justice, do not bifurcate the State and maintain status quo—this is the stand of the three parties," YSRCP honorary president YS Vijayamma mentioned in her letter to Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde. 

To
Sri Sushil Kumar Shinde,
Hon’ble Union Minister for Home Affairs
New Delhi

Respected Sir,

We would like to draw your attention to your remarks on bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh at a monthly media briefing on Saturday, 7th September 2013 which has been widely reported in the press.

You are quoted to have said that ‘The CWC took the decision in favour of Telangana only after all political parties gave their consent in writing. Except the CPM, all major political parties from the state have supported Telangana’.

As a responsible political party, we did not expect that there would be a need for us to write such a letter to you vis-à-vis on bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. What has baffled us is the Union Minister, holding a responsible position, distorting facts.

We have reminded you repeatedly that five parties namely Congress, BJP, TRS, TDP and CPI have supported the separation of the state, while three parties YSR Congress, CPM and MIM have been vehemently opposing the move to divide the state.

While this is the raw reality, your mention of only one Party opposing the exercise is sheer distortion of facts which does not go well with the High Office you are holding.

Therefore, we are enclosing herewith the letters written by our Party to you and Honorable Prime Minister as well. We have been very explicit on the bifurcation issue right from the all party meeting held in Delhi on December 28, 2012. We reiterated our party stand in a letter addressed to Prime Minister with a copy marked to you. We place hereunder the text of the letter for your kind reference.

‘Doing justice to one region does not mean causing injustice to the other regions. This fundamental principle was ignored by Congress Party which has priorities in votes and seats. It is not fair on the part of the Centre to keep with it the powers of restructuring any State unless it can take decisions that would be agreeable to all the concerned parties without injustice to any region. This is the view expressed by three political parties‐ YSR Congress Party, MIM and CPI (M). If you cannot do justice, do not bifurcate the State and maintain status quo—this is the stand of the three parties.

How can the Congress claim that it has arrived at 100 per cent consensus among all political parties on the division issue when elected public representatives from Rayalaseema and Coastal Andhra are resigning and the two regions are on the boil with strikes and dharnas? Only five political parties have agreed for the bifurcation. They are: TDP, TRS, Congress, CPI and BJP.’

How can you (the Centre) say that there is consensus (acceptable to everybody) on the issue of splitting the State, when the proposal of division is not acceptable to Political Parties and crores of people of Andhra Pradesh, who believe that injustice is being meted out to? Neither, do you have acceptability to your proposal nor do people believe that justice is done.

Then, is it prudent to distort facts?

As a member of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) and Union Minister for Home Affairs, you might have been well aware that YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) MLAs have resigned on July 25 itself while the CWC took the decision to divide the State on July 30. They quit in protest and to mount pressure on your Party against bifurcation.

Our Party President YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and I have quit the posts and went on an indefinite hunger strike for 12 days in protest against the division. These facts must have come to your notice, for sure, being a Home Minister, or probably it must have skipped your attention.

You should also know that I led a Party delegation to Delhi and met the President, Prime Minister and leaders of other political parties on the issue and held a protest deeksha at Delhi. All these events happened in Delhi, yet they missed the notice of the Union Home Minister or should we say you feigned ignorance for reasons best known to you.

Earlier, your Party leader Digvijay Singh had also made it a mission to air distorted versions on the division issue in the media boasting of consensus and brushing aside opposition. What he was speaking was not the actual version and our view point was put forth in the letter we sent to the Prime Minister correcting him, in which we categorically reiterated our Party stand. We wrote that there are no deviations in our stand and three Parties YSRCP, MIM and CPM are opposing the division.

Despite knowing all these facts, being in the Government, you have been imposing the CWC decision on us, at gun-point, like a Congressman and this is not justifiable. You have been distorting the truth to throttle the voice of those Parties that are opposing the bifurcation of the State and imposing your (Congress) decision on the people.  You did not appoint an Official (Government) Committee for fear of showcasing opposition to your move.

While taking a decision of such a magnitude, why did you not seek clarifications from all Political Parties?

Being in the High Office of Home Ministry, how far is it justified to rub your opinions on others by distorting facts to meet your ends by misleading the people of the country?

Nearly 60 per cent of the people of the state are on strike for the past 43 days protesting against the decision of the division of the state and the Government has no concern.

Even while the State is united, we are not getting water unless the needs of Maharashtra are met and Alamatti and Narayanpur dams of Karnataka are filled up. Now if another State comes in between, where will Srisailam project get the water from? Later, where will Nagarjunasagar get its water from? There would be water disputes among people along the Krishna river ayacut on a daily basis?

If you divide our State for a few votes and seats in one region, there will be no drinking water from Kuppam to Srikakulam. Congress is speaking of providing national status to Polavaram. If another state comes in between, getting water to Polavaram is not that easy.

Previously, you have asked us to vacate Madras and now you are asking us to vacate Hyderabad in 10 years. If we leave Hyderabad, where will the children go for jobs? While 50 % of the revenue is generated from Hyderabad, if that money is not available or if that is utilized for building new capital, there will be no money to meet other expenses including salaries to employees.

There will be no funds for the ongoing welfare schemes and the ones to be launched in future. The future of the employees and people living in Hyderabad will be in a quandary.

Though we have gas in our own State we are not allowed to use it as the division deprives us from doing so. While crores of people are agitating for the past 43 days demanding that they will be deprived of water and capital city of Hyderabad, you have least concern.
Congress Party may gain some seats and votes but the bifurcation process will play havoc with the lives of people.

Regards
Yours sincerely
(Y S Vijayamma)