Date:23/01/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/01/23/stories/2008012350090100.htm

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YSR’s remarks open Pandora’s box

Special Correspondent

Congress leaders in favour of Telangana rap Chief Minister

Chief Minister describes Telugu daily report as “distorted”
Says Sonia Gandhi ‘totally alive’ to the Telangana issue

HYDERABAD: The Congress was caught in a raging political storm over a statement by Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy that the party could not take a decision on separate Telangana in the absence of an absolute majority at the Centre.

Angered by his stand, Telangana protagonists in the Congress trained their guns at Dr. Reddy accusing him of betraying the confidence of people of the region and belittling AICC president Sonia Gandhi. The assault against the Chief Minister was spearheaded by the party veteran G. Venkataswamy who called upon people of Telangana to launch an agitation now that Dr. Reddy had ‘exposed his true feelings’. A Congress MP Madhu Yaskhi and an MLA V. Purushottam Reddy also lashed out at the Chief Minister.

The basis for the entire controversy was an interview published in a Telugu daily that quoted Dr. Reddy as categorically stating that separate statehood for Telangana was not possible before the 2009 elections.

Describing the report as “distorted”, Dr. Reddy promptly denied having stated that AICC president Sonia Gandhi would not be in a position to create Telangana during the present term of the Lok Sabha.

What he had actually said was that Ms. Gandhi alone could not take a decision as the present regime at the Centre was not a Congress Government but a coalition of several parties. Till a consensus was reached among them, the issue of separate Telangana would remain a problem, he added.

Dr. Reddy said he had further stated that Ms. Gandhi was ‘totally alive’ to the Telangana issue and would take an appropriate decision at an appropriate time.

He had stated that Congress leaders reposed faith in Sonia Gandhi and, as such, had left the final decision on Telangana to her. The Chief Minister conveyed his version to AICC general secretary Veerappa Moily who extended support to his stand.

However, Mr. Venkataswamy said the Chief Minister’s remarks reflected his disinclination for creation of separate State.

He said he would request Ms. Gandhi to convene a meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) to discuss Telangana.