Date:26/12/2003 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2003/12/26/stories/2003122603750400.htm

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh

BJP approach to Telangana irks KCR

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD Dec. 25. The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) president, K. Chandrasekhar Rao, has said that it is too early to talk of alliances between the Opposition parties at this stage as it is only now that the Congress has some clarity on the issue of the Statehood for Telangana.

Discussing the relative strengths of the parties should also be avoided at this point, Mr. Rao told the reporters just before leaving to attend the meeting of the Opposition here on Thursday.

Mr. Rao welcomed the statement of the AICC general secretary and in charge of AP affairs, Ghulam Nabi Azad, favouring Telangana and said the Congress was taking small steps in the direction of Statehood for the region.

He came down heavily on the BJP president, M. Venkaiah Naidu, for talking about the separatist strategies of the TRS and the Congress and said he had no moral right to raise the issue of separatism. Mr. Venkaiah Naidu began his political career leading the separatist Jai Andhra movement and was even jailed. It was, therefore, ridiculous that he was criticising another separatist movement.

Mr. Rao reminded the BJP of its 100-point charge-sheet against the Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu. This was conveniently set aside by the BJP under the leadership of Mr. Venkaiah Naidu for the sake of sharing power at the Centre.

Mr. Rao also criticised the BJP for opposing the idea of negotiations with naxalites.

The Opposition and the intelligentsia had supported negotiations in an effort to solve the problem of naxalism permanently. How much more blood should be shed in the region? he asked.

Stating that even the Prime Minister, A.B. Vajpayee, had affixed his signature on the demand for separate Telangana when the movement was at its peak in 1968-69, he said the BJP recently adopted a resolution on the demand at Kakinada but dropped it only to appease the Chief Minister. The BJP was scared of becoming extinct if it did not rally behind the TDP.

Mr. Rao clarified that the TRS had identified itself with the social agenda of naxalites only to find a solution to the problem.