Hyderabad: 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 Dec 12 sent Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill 2013 to the state assembly, directing it to return the same with its views by Jan 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 also met Mukherjee. The hour-long meeting assumed significance in view of Telangana bill referred to 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.
