Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and others called on President Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Nilayam here on Sunday.
The visit of Kiran Kumar, a vocal opponent of division of the state, is said to be a courtesy call.
Besides the Chief Minister, both sides of the regional divide over the bifurcation also called on the President.
TDP MLAs from Seemandhra and Rayalaseema, who met Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Nilayam in Bolarum here, urged him to stop the process of bifurcation, alleging that the decision to divide the state was taken with political considerations, said party MLA D Narendra.
TRS leaders, including MP G Vivek, who are rooting for formation of Telangana, also met the President, official sources said.
Mukherjee arrived here on December 19 for his customary winter sojourn and will stay at Rashtrapati Nilayam until December 31.
He visited Tamil Nadu and Kerala last week on several engagements, including unveiling of a statue of former Kerala Chief Minister K Karunakaran.
Mukherjee would visit Ananatapur district on Monday.
Rashtrapati Nilayam is one of the two official retreats of the President, the other being ‘The Retreat Building’ in Shimla.
It is customary for the President to visit Rashtrapati Nilayam and stay there at least once a year and conduct official business from there.
Located at Bolarum in Secunderabad, the 11-room single-storey building spread over 90 acres, which houses the Rashtrapati Nilayam, was handed over to the President’s Secretariat after the erstwhile state of Hyderabad was taken from the erstwhile Nizam.
The President had referred the draft AP Reorganisation Bill-2013 to the state legislature and is presently under the consideration of both the Houses. The draft legislation has to be returned to the President by January 23.
Telugu Desam Party legislators from Seemandhra Sunday urged President Pranab Mukherjee to recall the bill sent to Andhra Pradesh assembly for formation of a separate Telangana state.
Alleging that the central government is going ahead with the process of bifurcating the state in an unconstitutional manner, they appealed to the president to intervene.
A delegation of TDP lawmakers from Seemandhra (Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra) met the president at Rashtrapati Nilayam here, where he is currently on southern sojourn.
The delegation under the banner of Forum for United Andhra Pradesh submitted a memorandum to Mukherjee. It alleged that the government is bifurcating the state for political and electoral gains.
One of the legislators D. Narendra later told reporters that the central government was misusing its powers under article 3 of the constitution to divide the state.
The lawmakers told the president that the bill was prepared and approved by the union cabinet in a hasty manner.
“The bill has no aims and objectives and there is no information on key issues including financial matters,” Narendra said.
The president on December 12 sent Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill 2013 to the state assembly, directing it to return the same with its views by January 23.
Leaders of Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) also called on the president and requested him to ensure that the process for formation of the separate state is expedited.
Member of Parliament G. Vivek, who was part of the TRS delegation, said the president told them that the constitutional process was being followed in the matter.
The TRS leaders alleged that Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, TDP and YSR Congress were creating hurdles in debate on the bill in the assembly.
The chief minister, who is opposed to bifurcation, is believed to have brought to the president’s notice the opposition to the centre’s decision from Seemandhra people.
Kiran Reddy in October wrote a letter to the president, complaining that the central government is not following established practices and conventions on the issue.
He wanted the government to refer the issue to the state assembly for an appropriate resolution before drafting and sending the bill. (Agencies)
