Date:10/10/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/10/stories/2008101059970800.htm

National

‘Move is an eyewash’

Special Correspondent

It is politically motivated: Moily

It can be resolved through consensus, he says
Bharatiya Janata Party welcomes Naidu’s decision

NEW DELHI: The Congress high command has reacted sharply to the decision of TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu to support the formation of a separate state of Telangana.

“The move is a mere eyewash and not taken on merit,” said party media cell chairman and in-charge of Congress affairs in Andhra Pradesh M. Veerappa Moily to The Hindu from Bangalore. Mr. Naidu is trying to fool the people and the decision was not made out of conviction or in the interest of the people, he said.

When the UPA government tried to evolve a political consensus on the issue, as per the common minimum programme (CMP), the TDP, BJP and the Left parties refused to cooperate. “When we really needed support on Telangana it was not forthcoming. Now, they are going in for a separate State, which is nothing but a politically motivated one and not genuine.”

Mr. Moily reiterated that the Congress was firm in its stand that the issue could be resolved through political consensus.

Anyway, the people would decide on the designs of the opposition parties during the polls, he said.

BJP spokesman and in-charge of party affairs in A.P., Prakash Javedkar termed Mr. Naidu’s decision a good one as the BJP had been stating that Telangana was a necessity and all parties which support the move should come together and succeed on this.

The CPI national secretary D. Raja said Mr. Naidu’s move was an “acknowledgment of the existing reality” as there was overwhelming demand from the people for Telengana. Now there would be a grand poll alliance of Left-TDP-TRS in AP, he said.

KCR hails decision

HYDERABAD: The TDP’s decision evoked mixed response from other political parties.

The Telangana Rashtra Samiti that had been trying to unite all parties against the Congress welcomed the policy decision announced by the TDP. The Congress should at least now introduce a Bill in the Parliament since all the hurdles in the formation of Telangana State had been removed, TRS president K. Chandrasekhar Rao said. APCC president D. Srinivas welcomed the change in TDP’s stand on Telangana, but said the party ought to have taken a decision a couple of years ago. “The announcement coming before the elections clearly shows the intentions of the TDP,” he said.