Telangana row: SC refuses to entertain plea opposing bifurcation

New Delhi – The Supreme Court today refused to entertain a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging the Union Cabinet’s decision to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh to carve out a separate Telangana state

A bench of Justices H L Dattu and Madan B Lokur said the petition filed against bifurcation of the state is premature, as Parliament and state legislature are still to pass it.

The petition was filed by D A Somayajulu, a member of the Political Affairs Committee of the YSR Congress.

Earlier in the day, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy along with three union ministers met the Group of Ministers (GoM) on the issue here.

Reddy said he would try to persuade the Centre to keep the state united.

“I am committed to the cause of unified Andhra Pradesh and believe that the state would develop in a big way only if it remains undivided. The division would give rise to many problems,” Reddy added.

The Central Government had earlier reorganized the GoM, cutting its strength from 10 to seven ministers.

On October 3, the Union Cabinet had decided to go ahead with the process for the creation of a separate Telangana state carved out from Andhra Pradesh.