In a severe setback to former Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, the Supreme Court on Monday refused to stay bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh and thus cleared all decks for the formation of Telangana, the 29th State of the country, on the appointed day on June 2.
Dealing with as many as 24 petitions filed by Seemandhra leaders, including Kiran Kumar Reddy, opposing the division of the State on the grounds that due democratic and constitutional process were not followed in Parliament for the passage of the A.P. Reorganization Bill 2014, the Supreme Court rejected the petitions and refused to grant any stay in the matter.
The Supreme Court also gave six weeks’ time for the Central government to file its arguments in the matter and posted the hearing of the case to August 20.
At one stage, the court was so peeved with the arguments of the counsel for the petitioners Undavalli Arun Kumar, a sitting Congres MP, that quipped that the “court cannot be treated and converted as a fish market”.
Thus with the ruling of the apex court, Andhra Pradesh would be divided into two States – Telangana and Seemandhra – on the scheduled appointed day of June 2 without any hitch or hurdles.
The ruling of the Supreme Court has come as a big jolt to the protagonists of united State, especially the former chief minister and his supporters, who have pinned hopes on the judiciary to prevent the division of the State.
