Telangana senior Congress leader Dr K Keshav Rao has said that President-elect Pranab Mukherjee was favorable to formation of separate Telangana State.
Speaking to the media here on Tuesday, Keshav Rao said that Pranab was not against separate State. He exuded confidence that Pranab would not become as hurdle to creation of separate Telangana State. He said that Pranab opined that the Congress would survive only when it concedes separate Telangana State.
He also said that the Congress Working Committee (CWC) had taken a favorable decision with regard to Telangana. He said that Pranab was surprised when the situation had taken a U-turn on Telangana issue after the December 9, 2009 announcement. That time, the CWC directed the State to propose a resolution in the Assembly, but things turned differently, he said.
Keshav Rao revealed that Pranab had made it clear that there was no link between Gurkhaland and Telangana issues. He said that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Benarjee was also in favor of separate Telangana State. The time has come now to take a decision on Telangana issue and no force on the earth could stop creation of separate State, he added.
–Agencies