Sangareddy, December 14: Patancheru MLA and District Congress Committee president T Nandeeswar Goud alleged that land mafia in Hyderabad was provocating students in Andhra and Rayalaseema regions and instigating them to take to agitations.
Speaking to mediapersons here today, he alleged that leaders like Vijayawada MP Lagadapati Rajgopal were resorting to cheap politics fearing that the land rates would go down once separate Telangana State was carved.
Exuding confidence that come what may Telangana State would be constituted, he alleged that the land mafia was sponsoring agitations in Andhra and Rayalaseema regions. Stating that Union Home Minister P Chidambaram had made an announcement that the process for Telangana State had been initiated only on the directions of AICC president Sonia Gandhi, Nandeeswar Goud exuded confidence that Sonia Gandhi would not backtrack on the promise. He said that he would be the first one to resign as an MLA in case the Union Government succumbed to pressure from Andhra and Rayalaseema leaders on the statehood issue.
He said besides him, Telangana ministers and MLAs cutting across party affiliations were also ready to resign and bring pressure on the UPA Government. He said that a meeting would be organised at Sangareddy tomorrow to thank Sonia Gandhi for initiating the process on Telangana. He said that district ministers, MLAs and leaders would attend the meeting.
The DCC president said that the decision on Telangana statehood was not taken overnight as alleged by TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu but was taken after a extensive exercise. He wondered why Andhra and Rayalaseema leaders were raising objections when they had remained mum when the Congress joined hands with the TRS in 2004, TDP having an alliance with TRS in 2009 elections and when 40 MLAs had signed a letter in 2000 during YS Rajasekhara Reddy’s stint as a CLP leader and forwarded it to Sonia Gandhi seeking separate state for Telangana.
He said that Chandrababu Naidu, who had promised to support the resolution on Telangana in the Assembly, had shown his true colours as soon as Chidamabaram announced that the process on Telangana had begun. He reiterated that there was no threat to the life and property of Andhra and Rayalaseema people living.
–Agencies