The Hindu : TRS dismisses Cong. charge out of hand

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jan 09, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh-Hyderabad

TRS dismisses Cong. charge out of hand

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD Jan. 8. The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) has rejected outright the Congress charge that is receiving funds from the Telugu Desam and demanded that the AICC secretary, Anil Shastri, who made the allegation, tender an unconditional apology to the people of Telangana.

Speaking to newsmen here on Wednesday, the TRS president, K. Chandrasekhara Rao, said the remarks of Mr. Shastri smacked of lack of a proper understanding of the situation. It was the Congress culture to be ``sold out,'' he said citing examples.

Was the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, not accused of withdrawing his High Court cases against Mr. Naidu in return for a favour shown to him for setting up a power generation unit. The Congress had bartered the chairmanship of the Warangal and Ranga Reddy Zilla Parishads with the TDP for money. The APCC did not even issue a show-cause notice to the Congress ZPTC members when they supported the TDP in the Warangal chairmanship election.

In the bypoll to the ZPTC of Indravelli in Adilabad on Wednesday, the Congress withdrew from contest in favour of the TDP in consideration for money. He claimed that 26 Congress MLAs were with Mr. Naidu.

Mr. Rao recalled how the PCC president, M. Satyanarayana Rao, at the time of local body polls confessed that some of his partymen were prone to being ``sold out.'' He said the party could not come to terms with the towering presence of the TRS.

Mr. Rao also said the Congress had no moral right to talk about Telangana, especially since a pro-Telangana agitation carried out by the party in the Sixties claimed the lives of 400 people.

The TRS movement was built on a strong foundation which had its genesis in the sacrifices by its cadre. The party was sincere to its cause.

Reacting to the remarks of the BJP State president, C. Ramachandra Reddy, that the BJP wanted to forge an electoral alliance with the TRS, Mr. Rao expressed surprise why they were made but nonetheless said the TRS was willing to work with any party as long as they had a common objective -- Statehood for Telangana. Mr. Rao refused to reply to the allegations against him by the Ministers -- Kadiam Srihari and N. Janardhana Reddy -- saying they were people who sold away their conscience and turned puppets of Andhraites.

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