If not amended, Art 3 will kill Democracy: Jagan

In a bid to gain support of national leaders, cutting across political and state lines, for the cause of a united Andhra, YSR Congress Party president, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy met Odisha CM, Naveen Patnaik in Bhubaneshwar,  this afternoon.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Jagan said, "We had requested Naveen ji to amend article 3. What is happening in AP doesnt stop with AP. This will set a new precedent and will roll on to other states in the future. We explained to him, the consequences." 

He added, "We had impressed upon him that the article should be amended in a way that if a state has to be divided then assembly resolution should be made mandatory. In fact unanimous assembly resolution should be made mandatory and if unanimous is not possible, then at least two thirds of the house should support the division.  Two thirds of majority in Assembly as well as Parliament should support the division, otherwise no division should take place."

He pointed out that in case an amendment is not done then the, "repercussions will be so severe that it would spill over to every state and anyone in power in Delhi could sit there, and at their whims and fancies split any state. Democracy will be killed in broad daylight. This has to be stopped. In our efforts in that direction we approached Naveen ji and he was kind enough to extend all his support in safeguarding democracy," said Jagan.

To a query, Patnaik said no discussion was held on the third front during the meeting in which only the Telangana issue figured.