Why is TRS so insistent upon the expeditious establishment of a High Court for Telangana?
During his speech on the recent private bill regarding AP Reorganization Act in Rajya Sabha, TRS’ Keshava Rao, while complaining that the issues related to Telangana were not being discussed in the debate, interestingly said that the Telangana movement was all about the establishment of separate High Court, which was not being constituted despite protests.
One might think that Keshava Rao was being dramatic in saying so. But no, he was not. The establishment of a separate High Court is very much high on the agenda of the TRS Government for political, among other, reasons.
Recently, the demand for a separate High Court became vociferous and aggressive, with even district judicial officials in Telangana, against all service rules, participating in the street agitations. The AP and Telangana High Court had to issue suspension notices to some of the local judges for these demonstrations.
The Telangana political leaders have been very vocal about the demand since a long time. They did not mince words in this regard, throwing allegations that the present High Court was biased against Telangana, and that the Andhra judges were ruling roost in the current set up.
It is understandable that the Telangana judicial officers are on the roads, like their comrades such as teachers and government employees earlier, in the hope of better career prospects.
But the consistency with which the TRS leaders have been agitating for a separate High Court is not mere symbolic protest for a better representation for Telangana in the judiciary. It is more than meets the eye.
The TRS Government has been able to get complete hold on every sphere of influence including the media space in Telangana. What has been bothering them for a long time is their inability to wield clout within the judiciary.
It may be recalled that the TRS Government has been at the receiving end in a series of cases in the High Court, the latest being cancellation of Vice-Chancellor appointments. This caused much discomfiture to the ruling party, which otherwise is well entrenched in the state.
Besides, popular gossip has been that Chandrababu Naidu has always ensured a favorable judiciary. Both Congress as well as YSR Congress furthered this image for a long time. Even TRS entertains this feeling.
Hence, the TRS Government too wants to be able to hold a sway in the High Court, which is possible only when there is a separate High Court for the state. The Chief Minister of the State is informally consulted during the appointment of judges to the High Court, and the local district judges have an opportunity to be elevated as High Court judges over the course of time.
In fact, the recent flare-up over the issue was being attributed to the lack of consultation with the TRS Government over a list of six names for judgeship prepared by the Chief Justice. It has been an informal tradition for the CJ to check with the State Government before finalizing the names for appointment as Judges. The State Governments in the past indeed had some say in this matter, though they were not as aggressive as the present State leadership.
TRS Government would like to exercise this opportunity to establish its own clout within the judicial arena. But for that, the establishment of a separate High Court is a pre-requisite. The longer the delay in this regard, the more is the lost opportunity for the TRS to push for its own candidates.
Having understood the mind of their leader in this regard, the TRS leaders have been agitating over the demand in and out of Parliament.
Any wonder then why for Keshava Rao the establishment of High Court is the topmost demand of Telangana?
— Vijaya
