Centre not interfering with rights of TS Govt: Rajnath

New Delhi, Aug 11 (INN): Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday claimed that the Central Government was not interfering with the rights of Telangana State.

Making a statement in the Lok Sabha on granting special powers of law and order in Hyderabad to the Governor, Rajnath Singh said that the Centre understands the sensitivity of relationship between the Centre and States and it would maintain cordial relations with all the States in the country. However, he said that the Centre has only issued an Advisory to Telangana Government over the Section 8 of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act – 2014 wherein the Governor has been assigned the responsibility to protect residents of common capital of Hyderabad. He read out the excerpts of Section 8 to convey that the Governor would consult the Council of Ministers of Telangana although his judgment on the action to be taken would be final.

“The responsibility of the Governor shall extend to matters such as law and order, internal security and security of vital installations and management and allocation of government buildings in the common capital area,” reads a para in Section 8 of the Act.

Amid uproar by the TRS MPs, Rajnath Singh said that the Telangana Bill was prepared by the previous UPA Government and his government was only implementing the Act. He reiterated that Centre has only issued an advisory and not trying to encroach upon the rights of Telangana State.