 "Shouldn't rush T Bill through House: Ramesh")
“Surely, I would be the first to argue that such a far- reaching Bill should be discussed in Parliament, should be debated and should not be pushed through in a cacophony when protests of a violent nature are taking place,” Ramesh told Karan Thapar on the Devil’s Advocate programme on CNN-IBN.
Asked if the government would pull back the Bill if a sensible debate could not be held over it, Ramesh said, “My personal belief is that such an important piece of legislation must be debated and discussed and not pushed through in a din.”
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The rural development minister also termed the 1984 anti-Sikh riots a “blot” on the country and the Congress, and suggested that more needs to be done for the victims and to bring the guilty to book. He also refused to compare the violence with the 2002 post-Godhra riots, saying the latter were “born out of hatred” in Gujarat.
Ramesh, a key member of the group of ministers on Telangana, said he had articulated his position on the issue at party fora as well.
“We shouldn’t have any unilateral initiative in the House. We have to bring BJP on board. We should try to create a larger consensus beyond BJP as well. We have four days left. I hope we can get it done,” he said.
Ramesh’s statement comes at a time when the opposition has rejected the government’s claim that it had tabled the Telangana Bill in Parliament. “I spoke to the home minister yesterday (Saturday). He said that the Bill has been introduced. There are differing views on it. I know Sushma Swaraj has given a different view. It is the reading of the home minister as also the parliamentary affairs minister that the Bill stands introduced,” Ramesh said.
The Congress leader also slammed his party colleague and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, who has publicly opposed the bifurcation of the state. “I think Reddy has not been loyal to the Congress party.... Unfortunately, he is a Congress chief minister.... I am sorry, he is a good friend of mine... But I think he has really crossed the Lakshman Rekha of discipline as far as I am concerned,” said the Rajya Sabha MP from Andhra Pradesh.
On the difference between the 1984 and 2002 riots, he said: “... 1984 riots are a blot on all of us. It is a blot on the Congress, it is a blot on the nation.... 2002 riots were born out of underlying 60-year ideology of hatred and demonization.”
The rural development minister said this when he was questioned about Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi's recent TV interview in which he drew parallel with the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and 2002 Gujarat riots. Rahul had said that then Congress government at the Centre had tried to stop the riots that took place after the assassination of Indira Gandhi and Narendra Modi's Gujarat did just opposite to it when 2002 Gujarat riots took place.
Ramesh said what Rahul stated was “completely true.” “Because I was right here. The prime minister was going around the city making an appeal... Army was called in...,” he said. “I think what Mr Gandhi was saying which was refusing to acknowledge that 1984 riots was not born out of an ideology of hatred which the 2002 riots were... We were re-elected in Punjab, we lost Punjab, we won Punjab... Sikhs voted for us, Sikhs voted against us....”
When asked whether Rahul should have apoligised for 1984 riots as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh did, Ramesh said, “There is much to be said for an apology, there is much to be said for ensuring the justice is meted out to the people who are victims of 1984 riots in terms of compensation... In terms of bringing the guilty to book...” When repeatedly asked the same question, he said, “I can't speak on his (Rahul's) behalf. All I am saying that the prime minister has apologised... The Congress president (Sonia Gandhi) has apologised... Mr Gandhi has been to the Golden temple...”