Date:16/05/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/05/16/stories/2005051606700400.htm

Andhra Pradesh

`No Telangana reference at Congress meet'

Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former Union Minister, Ch. Vidyasagar Rao, has regretted lack of any reference to the issue of separate Telangana at the much-hyped "Rededication Day" meeting of the Congress Government on Saturday.

At a press conference on Sunday, he recalled that it was on the Telangana plank the Congress and the Telangana Rashtra Samithi fought elections together.

He said it was proof that the Congress Government never intended to keep up any of its pre-poll promises.

"It is not a display of punarankitham but only punarvanchitham," he said.

"Was the meeting a party affair or a Government-sponsored show?" he asked, protesting against the way a senior Congressman like G. Venkatswamy was stopped from speaking about Telangana by an IAS officer. This clearly showed lack of decency on stage and the "factional mentality" of the Congress Government led by the Chief Minister, Dr. Reddy, he alleged.

Mr. Rao said if the Government had any sincerity, it should implement the recommendations of the Girglani Commission and render justice to people of Telangana.