Date:23/01/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/01/23/stories/2008012359570600.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Telangana Congressmen spit fire at Chief Minister

YSR’s statements send ‘shock waves’ among senior partymen

Venkataswamy to inform AICC president about Chief Minister’s remarks
Madhu Yaskhi sees deep-rooted conspiracy to dilute Telangana issue

HYDERABAD: Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy’s ‘observations’ on separate Telangana evoked a spate of sharp reactions from Congress leaders of the region on Tuesday, with Congress MP G. Venkataswamy going to the extent of giving a call to the people of Telangana to agitate peacefully to achieve their goal. He termed Dr. Reddy’s statement ‘shocking’ saying, “his statement reflects his dislike for creation of separate State.” Mr. Venkataswamy said that the Congressmen had lost faith in the Chief Minister. He declared that he would write to AICC president Sonia Gandhi demanding a meeting of the Congress Working Committee exclusively to discuss the Telangana issue. “I will not hesitate to raise the remarks made by Dr. Reddy against Ms. Gandhi,” he asserted.

Accusations

Referring to Dr. Reddy’s observation that Ms Gandhi was ‘not a monarch’ he asked: “How can he use such words against the party president?” He accused some party leaders from other regions of speaking out against the Telangana leaders at the behest of the Chief Minister.

Telangana Regional Development Board Chairman V. Purushottam Reddy too did not lag behind. He accused Dr. Reddy of trying to pre-empt the ‘positive response’ from the AICC president when the Telangana leaders would call on her during their Delhi visit on January 28.

Trust ‘shattered’

He said the faith of Telangana Congress leaders in Dr. Reddy was shattered after his public observations on Telangana. He alleged that the Chief Minister had undermined the authority of Ms. Gandhi by stating that she was not a monarch who could take decisions on her own. He said any leader who challenged the party chief had to bite the dust. Mr. Purushottam Reddy maintained that Dr. Reddy had crossed the ‘Lakshmana rekha’ by violating the High Command’s diktat that no one should talk about Telangana.

AICC secretary and Nizamabad MP Madhu Yaskhi said that a deep-rooted conspiracy was being hatched by a section of Congress leaders to dilute the demand for a separate Telangana. He charged the Chief Minister with violating the party discipline by issuing a ‘highly controversial statement.’