Vijayalakshmi to fast against Congress’ unilateral decision

[1]

Hyderabad: The YSR Congress’s honorary president and leader of the legislature party, Y.S. Vijayalakshmi, will go on an indefinite fast from August 19 in Vijayawada, the nerve centre of the Seema-Andhra region.
The unilateral decision of the Centre to divide the State without addressing the genuine concerns of the people of the State has led to the decision, said former MP Dr M.V. Mysoora Reddy who made the announcement on Friday at a media conference.
Vijyalakshmi has also written to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh criticising the hurried manner in which the bifurcation of the State was done, without addressing the problems of different regions.
Ms Vijyalakshmi has demanded that the Centre maintain the status quo if it cannot do justice to all regions, Dr Reddy said.
In her letter to the Prime Minister, Ms Vijyalakshmi objected to AICC general secretary Mr Digvijay Singh announcing the bifurcation of the State as if the decision was the Central government’s.
She said the bifurcation of the State has whipped up regional passions and driven a wedge between people of the two regions.
Many key issues like the status of Hyderabad as the capital, employment, industrial sector, information technology, sharing of river waters etc were not addressed before the decision was taken.
“Doing justice to one region should not be cause of injustice to other regions,” she wrote.
Any decision that has serious ramifications should not be taken by a single party, without holding consultations with other parties,” she wrote in her letter to the Prime Minister.
She said it was not the YSR Congress party alone that is taking up the issue; even the CPI (M) and Majlis party are of the same opinion. ‘If you cannot do justice to all, it is better you don’t go for bifurcation of the State,’ she wrote.
She also took strong objection to the Centre saying that there has been 100 per cent consensus from political parties on bifurcation. ‘If that was so, how come several legislators and MPs from Seema-Andhra region are quitting their membership? Only five political parties like the TDP, TRS, Congress, CPI and BJP have agreed for bifurcation,’ she added.
She charged the Centre with trying to elicit their assent at gun-point. ‘The authoritarian ruling party has scant respect for our feelings and cares little. It is going ahead as per its will and pleasure, irrespective of others’ opinion,’ Ms Vijayamma alleged.