The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a plea related to the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh in 2014.
The plea contended that the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, after which the state of Telangana was carved out, was passed by both houses of Parliament in a "controversial" manner.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for a petitioner, told the bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) NV Ramana, that though the challenge to the 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 which needed to be adjudicated upon, news agency PTI reported.
Telangana was carved out of Andhra Pradesh through the legislation in 2014, after the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act was passed in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on 18 and 20 February respectively in 2014 and got the assent of the then President Pranab Mukherjee on 1 March that year.
Bhushan was quoted as saying, "This case is regarding the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. That part may have become infructuous but there are other questions which are involved regarding the bifurcation of states. Please list it someday."
Several petitions, including the one which was 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 contended that the bifurcation of the state was illegal and unconstitutional.
(With inputs from PTI)
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