TRS sure of Telangana, irrespective of assembly proceedings

Hyderabad,  Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) president K Chandrasekhar Rao expressed confidence here Thursday that the formation of a separate Telangana state would be a reality irrespective of the outcome of the proceedings in the Andhra Pradesh legislature on the draft Telangana bill.

There is no problem if the state assembly debates or does not discuss.

There is no problem if the draft bill is sent back. It makes no difference even if it is not sent back. It has to be sent back (to the President). What is to be sent back? The gist of what happened. That responsibility has been put on Chief Secretary, not on Chief Minister, he said.

Chief Secretary is responsible to the government of India. It is said that he should report back to the President of India, he said.

The draft Andhra Pradesh Re-organisation Bill, 2013 was sent to the state legislature last month and is to be returned by January 23. The winter session of the assembly resumes today.

The TRS leader's comments came after opposition to the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, by leaders from Seemandhra region (comprising Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra regions), including Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy.

Two days ago, Kiran had divested minister D Sridhar Babu, who belongs to the Telangana region, of his legislative affairs portfolio, which kicked up a political storm as leaders from Telangana raised objections.