Hyderabad, December 27: The Telangana Political Joint Action Committee (JAC) has issued an ultimatum to the Centre asking it to announce a clear cut time-frame for formation of a separate state by Monday evening, failing which an indefinite bandh would be called from December 29.
While the committee decided to intensify its agitation from Tuesday, cracks are showing in the fledgling outfit on the issue of political strategy to be followed to achieve the goal. Mutual distrust is clearly evident in the organization even though an apolitical civil rights activist and well-respected political science teacher M Kodandaram has been appointed JAC’s convener.
Though JAC was formed just three days ago on Wednesday, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) legislators left it the very next day following an attack on its senior leader Nagam Janardhan Reddy in Osmania University while Congress ranks find themselves ill-at-ease sailing with TRS, which is a known ruling party-basher, and because of lack of clarity on the next course of action.
The radical approach being advocated by the TRS has become the bone of contention among these parties. The TDP has not taken kindly to the Naidu-bashing by TRS leaders and the songs sung by the cultural troupe that owes allegiance to it. The Congress is irked by the demolition of statues of Congress leaders in the region apart from the adoption of violent methods. Both Congress and TDP have discussed the issues in their respective parties and almost announced their dislike to work with TRS in no uncertain terms.
Observers feel it’s the leadership issue that is making the JAC to fall apart. On Saturday, Congress’s senior leaders faced the wrath of their ranks for joining hands with TRS at a meeting of Telangana PCC officials, DCC chiefs and other functionaries. PCC leaders like Katakam Mrutyunjayam and D Niranjan are said to have opposed the enthusiasm to join JAC formed by TRS.
“When TRS leaders are attacking party president Sonia and chief minister K Rosaiah, how can we work with them for Telangana?” Mrutyunajay and Niranjan are said to have asked the leaders. They are also said to have opposed the demolition of statues of Congress leaders by TRS workers.
Senior Congress leaders V Hanumantha Rao, K Jana Reddy, R Damodar Reddy dislike the idea of calling for more bandhs in the region. “Bandhs are causing great suffering to the people. So we should not resort to anti-people forms of struggles. We should adopt democratic forms,” they told the media.
TDP senior leader Nagam Janardhan Reddy said they could not join hands with a party that did not respect their leader. He also put a condition to join the JAC. “Let the Congress ministers send their resignations to the governor, only after that will we think of joining JAC,” Nagendar said.
-Agencies