The Hindu : White paper issue triggers controversy in Cong.

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, May 03, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh

White paper issue triggers controversy in Cong.

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD May 2. The demand for a white paper on the development of three regions in the State from a section of Congress seems to have triggered a controversy in the party.

While the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee president, M Satyanarayana Rao, supported the demand made by some leaders from Rayalaseema and Andhra regions on the ground that it would bring out all facts pertaining to the issue, the Congress Forum for Telangana took serious objection, claiming that it only exposed the insensitivity of Congress leaders from other regions to the problems faced by people of Telangana.

Terming the demand "mischievous'' and "unwarranted,'' the CFT leaders went ahead to announce that the forum would write a "final letter'' to the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, requesting her to announce the constitution of a separate PCC for Telangana or the CFT leaders would have to "very seriously think about their locus standi in line with their commitment to make any sacrifices for the cause of Telangana.''

In an informal chat with reporters on Friday, the PCC president said the demand of Andhra and Rayalaseema leaders would in fact help bring out the raw deal meted out to the backward Telangana region and hence, nobody should have any objection to it.

However, at a separate press conference, the CFT leaders said such a demand would only raise doubts about the backwardness of Telangana while it would lend support to the Chief Minister, N Chandrababu Naidu, and his coterie of Telangana leaders to give a picture that lot of good things are done in the region.

The CFT members, K. Keshava Rao, P. Goverdhan Reddy, G. Chinna Reddy and others said though they had no objection for a debate on the issues pertaining to Telangana and its backwardness, they had strong objection to the timing of the demand. "Given the kind of injustices meted out to Telangana on various fronts including education, irrigation and power which has been proved time and again, is it necessary to ask for a white paper? It only betrays the bad intentions behind making such a demand,'' they said adding the situation in the party had worsened so much that Telangana leaders were feeling humiliated.

Stating that Telangana people were meted out injustice in employment, irrigation and other fields, they advised their counterparts in other regions not to cooperate with the ruling TDP by voicing such demands.

In this context, they said the remarks made by Union Minister, Ch Vidyasagar Rao, ridiculing the claims of the Government on the Devadula project only exposed the way the Government was fooling people on major issues.

At the same time, the CFT members said that the TRS president, K Chandrasekhar Rao, was playing a complementary role to the Telangana Congress leaders in the cause of the backward region and hence, they would welcome whatever issues he would take up.

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