Sadananda Gowda flays KCR for finding Centre at fault on HC status quo

Union Law Minister Sadananda Gowda on Tuesday asserted that it was for Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu to take a call on the split of the AP High Court. At the same time, he came down strongly against Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao for his remark that the Centre was delaying a decision with regard to the bifurcation of the High Court. Taking exception to the Telangana Chief Minister's remark, he said KCR cannot make comments like Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal against the Centre. Talking to mediapersons along with Union Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya, who also sought his intervention for the High Court bifurcation, Gowda maintained that the Centre had no role and he cannot speak on the issue, which is sub judice in the combined High Court. “I spoke to the two Telugu Chief Ministers and the Andhra Pradesh Government has to decide on the issue”, he said. However, the Law Minister said he would write to the Chief Justice of India and Governor of the two States on the issue of the lawyers going on warpath in Hyderabad. “We welcome the Telangana CM to stage a dharna at Jantar Mantar and he cannot indulge in making criticism against the Centre”, Gowda said. He said the people would respond to KCR if he criticized the Centre. Gowda displeasure came at a time when a perturbed KCR was planning to go in for a massive protest at Delhi to mount pressure on the Centre for a speedy division of the High Court between the two Telugu States.