Andhra bifurcation will lead to security concerns, says Kiran Reddy

Warning that bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh would lead to security concerns for the whole nation, Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Monday urged the Group of Ministers (GoM) to reconsider the decision to carve out separate Telangana state.

The chief minister met the GoM in the national capital and strongly opposed bifurcation of the state saying a weak state would create new law and order problems.

Addressing a press conference after the meeting with the GoM, Kiran Reddy said he highlighted the problems which would arise as a result of bifurcation.

He warned that the Maoist problem, which was well under control since 2006, would raise its head again as a result of weak government.

"There will be security concerns not only for Hyderabad, Telangana, Seemandhra but for the entire nation," he said, pointing out that the prime minister on many occasion described Naxalism (Maoism) as the biggest problem faced by the country.

Kiran Reddy also pointed out that majority of the Maoist leadership in Maharashtra, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and other states was from Andhra Pradesh, especially Telangana. "It will be a dangerous situation if they go out of control," he said.

The chief minister said there would be other security problems as Hyderabad had been a target of terrorists and the city and some other parts of Telangana and Seemandhra were communally sensitive.

"Security will become difficult especially on occasions of religious festival. Currently we are deploying 25,000 policemen from other parts of the state for Ganesh immersion, Ramzan and other festivals. What will happen after bifurcation," he asked.

Kiran Reddy suggested that instead of formation of separate Telangana state, a package of Rs.1 lakh crore be announced for the region to address its problems of unemployment, irrigation and electricity. He said that in an attempt to solve a problem, bigger problems should not be created by dividing the state.

He said the bifurcation would lead to problems of river water sharing between the two states and the farmers would be badly affected.

The chief minister pointed out that education and private employment especially in the information technology sector were concentrated in Hyderabad.

"Seemandhra people will lose access to universities and centres of excellence located in Hyderabad," he said.

He also pointed out that 3.5 lakh people were employed in the IT sector in Hyderabad.