We stand solidly behind you, Mamata tells Jagan
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday categorically agreed with YSR Congress party chief Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy's arguement that the decision of the UPA government at Centre led by Congress party on bifurcating Andhra Pradesh was unilateral and unconstitutional.
Addressing the press conference jointly with Jagan, after the latter's meeting with her in Kolkatta, she took serious exception for not taking the legislative Assembly into confidence.
Replying to a rally of questions from the media persons, Jagan, who led the delegation to Kolkatta to seek Mamata Banerjee's support to YSR CP's incessant struggle to keep AP united and to oppose the Centre's unilateral move to divide the State with Article 3 of constitution, demanded the amendment of Article 3 of constitution.
"The division of Andhra Pradesh, for that matter, of any State, should not be done merely on the whims and fancies of the ruling parties. If this unconstitutional process is left unchecked and unopposed, the country will be further divided and integrity of the nation would be at stake," Jagan said.
He further suggested to amend the Article 3 in order to give due importance to the resolution of the State assembly, besides the parliament.
"Make it compulsory to have two-third majority in the parliament and also in the State Assembly as a prerequisite for passing the State bifurcation bill," he said.
Coming in 'rescue' of Jagan from the slings and arrows of the reporters, Mamata advised the media to be restraint from posing irrelevant questions.
"Don't pose so many questions to him. He is too young to get suffocated with your questions. Being a young leader he has been fighting for a cause in the interests of the nation. My blessings are always with Jagan, who is like my younger brother," she told reporters.
She too agreed with Jagan that the division of any State was not solution to any problem. She questioned the rationale of Congress party in dividing Andhra Pradesh. She found ulterior motives in Congress party's decision to divide AP after keeping mum on the issue for 5 years and horrying when the general elections are round the corner.
"The backward regions should have been conferred with special status and granted with special packages. In the case, if the division of the State is made on consensus, no one opposes it," she added, citing the examples of Jarkhand, Uttarakhand and Chattisgarh.
