Telangana issue: High command intervention sought

By Our Staff Reporter

SRIKAKULAM, JUNE 2. The Congress high command must immediately intervene to sort out the separate Telangana issue in the party, Mr. M. Satyanarayana Rao, AP Congress Committee president, said here today. ``Otherwise things will not only go out of our control but of the high command's control as well,'' he told a press conference.

In view of various statements and demands being made for separate Telangana and programmes chalked out, he said he and the CLP leader, Dr. Y. S. Rajasekhar Reddy, had written a joint letter to the leadership. Tracing the origin of the demand for a separate Telangana in the party, he said 41 legislators had submitted a memorandum to the AICC president, Ms. Sonia Gandhi. Unfortunately, neither he nor the CLP leader was aware of the submission of the memorandum for a separate State till they saw it in newspapers. His view was not sought by the leadership even subsequently. However, in view of different statements emanating from various quarters in the party, he and the CLP leader wrote a letter seeking intervention, the PCC president said. A sub- committee set up by the party leadership was going into the issue of similar demands from other parts of the country and `we do not know when it would complete the exercise and submit its report,' he said.

On the Congress cadres joining the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS), he said it was an emotional issue. He recalled that earlier also when he was a Youth Congress leader, elections were successfully fought on a separate Telangana plank. But later in deference to the wishes of the late Indira Gandhi for an integrated Andhra Pradesh it was withdrawn and Mr. P.V. Narasimha Rao became the Chief Minister.

He termed the demands for separate states from other parts of the State, including north Andhra, as being made out of frustration. Mr. Satyanarayana Rao held the NDA Government responsible for renewed demands for separate States, dormant for a long time. The formation of Uttaranchal which, according to him, was economically unviable, was in pursuance of a hidden agenda of the BJP. The region had a lot of pilgrim centres and hence the BJP had carved out a State. The formation of Uttaranchal led to renewed demands, he said.

Mr. Satyanarayana Rao said action would be taken against the Sircilla MLA, Mr. R. Papa Rao, who had thrown in his lot with the TRS and was defying the party.

Notification for the local body elections might be issued anytime and his party was prepared to face them by exposing the failures of the TDP Government on farmers and weavers problems, remunerative prices and purchase of paddy. He said fielding candidates in a broad understanding with the two Left parties was also under active consideration.

However, there were some problems with the CPI(M) since the two parties were involved in a direct fight in Kerala and West Bengal. Further negotiations would be held in this regard. He would tour all the coastal districts to forge unity among leaders.

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