K. Kesava Rao, the retiring Congress member, has lambasted the UPA government over its apathy with regard to granting Telangana in the Rajya Sabha on Monday.
Dr Kesava Rao confronted the government on the issue and said already over 700 youngsters had laid down their lives for the cause of Telangana. He angrily questioned whether the UPA government would give Telangana, after the number crossed the 1000 mark.
BJP member and party’s official spokesperson Prakash Javadekar was all ears when Kesava Rao was speaking. His speech was interspersed with shouts of “Shame .. Shame” from the BJP benches. “Are the people of Telangana not human beings?” Kesava Rao questioned.
Stating that UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi has already conceded Telangana, he said that now it was for the government to keep her word. He questioned whether the government and the Congress High Command were following what was happening in Andhra Pradesh. “If you think that by killing me, the problem would be resolved, then do it”, he said emotionally. He said that the State has mentally bifurcated already. Referring to the statement of the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh about peace returning to the State, he said that it was at the request of the Prime Minister that the “Sakala Janula samme” (All people’s strike) was withdrawn.
Kesava Rao has questioned if the Congress had forgotten that it had promised Telangana in its election manifesto. He also reminded the government that an all-party meeting called by the government had agreed for passing a resolution in the Assembly on Telangana. Demanding that the government kept its end of the promise, he pointed out that despite appointing a committee (Sri Krishna Committee) the problem could not be resolved, as the people only want bifurcation and nothing short of it.
Kesava Rao also reminded the government that several ministers, MLAs and MPs had resigned for Telangana and yet, nothing had materialized.
Kesava Rao’s term as RS member is coming to an end shortly. He did not get extension, ostensibly because of the stand he had taken on Telangana and his frequent public outbursts, despite being CWC member. (NSS)