Hyderabad, February 2: Divergent views were expressed by the Congress leaders on the new developments taking place in the State politics, and the PRP joining hands with the ruling party. Telangana Congress senior leader Mr R Damodar Reddy said that the Congress party will be washed away in the State, particularly in Telangana region, if it works with Mr Chiranjeevi’s Praja Rajyam party. Another senior leader and MLC Mr KR Amos and AICC secretary and MLC Mr Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy have welcomed the development and made it clear that there was no relation between Telangana issue and Chiranjeevi’s party.
Speaking to the media at Assembly media point here on Tuesday, Mr Damodar Reddy said that the Congress party will be wiped out in the Telangana region with the new development because Mr Chiranjeevi was an integrationist. He said that the fans in Telangana region were angry at Mr Chiranjeevi taking a U-turn after the December 9, 2009 statement by the Union Home Minister Mr P Chidambaram in favor of Telangana. He said that already Mr Chiranjeevi was not in a position to tour in Telangana region and wondered as to why the high command has taken such a decision. He said, “I don’t know what is there in the mind of high command, but the party will be affected in both the regions”.
He said that the Congress party was in a strong position and the party has adequate MLAs to run the government. He opined that erosion of the party in the state will be minimized if the PRP was merged in the Congress party. He said that Mr Chiranjeevi would follow the party directions if he merged his party in the Congress party, and loss will be less in the Seemandhra region. He said that Mr Chiranjeevi, who has criticized the congress in the past, has to give clarification on the present development.
Taking serious exception at the Director General of Police (DGP) Mr K Aravinda Rao’s statements on Hyderabad, Mr Damodar Reddy said that not only the DGP, but anyone who tries to obstruct the creation of Telangana state would face severe consequences. He called upon all the political parties to work united to achieve Telangana.
Welcoming the new development in the state politics, Mr Amos said that the Congress party might have taken this decision to avoid any difficulty to the government. He opined that there was no link between the Telangana and Mr Chiranjeevi issues and said that the creation of Telangana depends on all parties’ decision and on Centre, but not on Mr Chiranjeevi.
Describing the DGP Mr K Aravinda Rao’s statement as ‘unfortunate’ Mr Amos said that his statement on Hyderabad was nothing but insulting the minorities living in Telangana region. Many Telangana people sacrificed their lives for the sake of Hyderabad during Razakar movement. He opined that some vested interests were hatching a conspiracy to take away Hyderabad from Telangana region. He also said that it was not proper for Mr Aravinda Rao to talk like that. He said that the DGP was talking like a politician rather than a bureaucrat.
Finding fault with the criticism against the new development in the state politics by the opposition leaders, Mr Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy questioned as to what’s wrong in Mr Chiranjeevi joining hands with the Congress party. He said that enemies like TRS, TDP and CPM worked together during the last elections, and why not Congress and PRP now.
The Telangana Congress Monitoring Group (TCMG) convener Mr G Niranjan has opined that UPA Chairperson Ms Sonia Gandhi would not keep the Telangana issue pending, even after Mr Chiranjeevi joining hands with the Congress party.
NSS