TDP petitions Prez on Telangana Bill

New Delhi: The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MPs have decided to write to President Pranab Mukherjee to ensure that the Government follows the Article 3 of the Constitution in letter and spirit. As custodian of the Constitution and Head of State, the TDP MPs want the President to exercise his Constitutional authority to ensure that the Government follows the due process of the Constitutional for the creation of Telangana. Y S Chowdhury said the TDP has obtained legal opinion from former Chief Justice of India G B Pattannaik on the scope of Article 3 of the Constitution and the same is being enclosed with the TDP representation for the ready reference of the President.

The TDP demands are that the President should oversee that the due Constitutional process is followed. Besides, the TDP wants the President to give ample time to the Andhra Pradesh Assembly to consider the Telangana Bill. On earlier occasions, the time given to the State Legislatures was six weeks. Uttar Pradesh was even given four weeks extension. In fact, Y S Chowdhury said that Article 3 of the Constitution was framed in the context of merging the 565-odd Princely States with the Indian Union.

There is a requirement that both the State Assembly and the State Legislative Council should pass the Telangana Bill. President Pranab Mukherjee, who is a Constitutional President, cannot be expected to blindly approve the process on Telangana.

The TDP leader was highly critical of the Congress of taking the entire process lightly and as if it is the party affair of the Congress. Y S Chowdhury said AICC General Secretary incharge of Andhra Pradesh Digvijay Singh and other party functionaries are treating the Constitutional process very casually, he said.