Date:26/01/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/01/26/stories/2008012652141000.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Telangana: Yechury asks Congress to clarify

Special Correspondent

‘CMP document says the issue will be taken up at an appropriate time’
Yechury declines to comment of Chiranjeevi’s proposed party

HYDERABAD: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury on Friday asked the Congress to spell out its stand on separate Telangana instead of trying to blame others.

Mr. Yechury, who is here in connection with the party’s State committee’s meeting, told press persons that the Congress appeared confused over the Telangana issue with some favouring the second State Reorganisation Commission and others opposing it. While the Congress was speaking about second SRC, there was no mention of it in the Common Minimum Programme.

“The Congress should desist from trying to shoot from our shoulder. We have made our stand clear to the Pranab Mukherjee Committee long ago. But the Congress has not done the same, caught in internal politics as it were, and trying to blame others. It is up to that party to take a decision.”

His party’s view, formulated way back in late 1960s, was that development of backward regions was the answer to such problems. Asked if he felt separate Telangana was one of the unfulfilled promises of the CMP, he said the document clearly mentioned that the issue of Telangana would be taken up at an appropriate time.

Refuting the senior Congress leader G. Venkatswamy’s charge that he was one among the obstacles to the formation of separate Telangana, he said the former had been in politics and in Congress even before he was born. Why did he not achieve his demand before?Asked if the Telugu Desam formed part of the third alternative planned by the CPI(M), he said it was for the TDP to respond.

He refused to comment on the party’s stand on the Telugu film star Chiranjeevi’s proposal to launch a political party.