The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a petition relating to the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh in 2014. The petition has argued that the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act was passed by both the Houses of Parliament in a “controversial” manner.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for one of the petitioners, told a bench headed by Chief Justice NV Ramana that though the challenge to bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, one of the key aspects of the petition, has become “infructuous” with the passage of time. There are other important issues that need to be decided upon.
“The matter pertains to the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. That part may have failed, but there are other questions which are involved in relation to the bifurcation of the states. Please list it someday,” he said.
“We will see,” a bench of Justice Krishna Murari and Justice Hima Kohli said on Friday.
Telangana was separated from Andhra Pradesh through legislation in 2014.
The Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act was passed in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on 18 and 20 February respectively and received the assent of the then President Pranab Mukherjee on 1 March. It was published in the Official Gazette a day later.
Several petitions, including one filed by former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Kiran Reddy, challenging the bifurcation and the “controversial manner” in which the bill was cleared in Parliament, were filed in the apex court in 2014 and are pending.
The petitioners argued that the bifurcation of the state was illegal and unconstitutional.
He had questioned the Centre’s decision to pass a bill relating to the bifurcation of the state in Parliament despite it being rejected by the Andhra Pradesh state assembly.
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