Probably for the first ever since the launch of Telangana agitation, leaders across party lines assembled at one stage to protest against Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh’s visit to the city.
K Keshava Rao (Congress), T Harish Rao (TRS), Bandaru Dattatreyya (BJP), Nagam Janardhan Reddy (Telangana Nagara), TPJAC chairman Prof M Kodandaram and other leaders of different political parties shared a common platform at a protest meeting held at Indira Park. However, the former PCC President Keshava Rao experienced a few moments of humuliation when some activists shouted slogans calling him as a “traitor of Telangana”. Meanwhile, the Nagarkurnool MLA intervened and invited Kesava Rao on to the stage.
Later, addressing the gathering Keshava Rao slammed the Centre for delay in taking a decision on the Telangana issue. He recalled that the then Union Home Minister P Chidambaram has clarified that the statement made by him on December 9, 2009, was not done on individual capacity and it was the Centre’s announcement on Telangana. However, he sought to know the reasons why the decision was not implemented. Further, post-December, there were several developments related to the statehood issue which proved futile. He advised all the legislators from the region to boycott the Assembly to pressurise the Centre on the statehood issue.
Speaking on the occasion Dr Nagam Janardhan Reddy accused the Centre of delaying the decision on Telangana on one or the other pretext. He condemned the statement of Union Home Minsiter Sushil Kumar Shinde that smaller States would escalate the problem of naxalites. He said the minister was trying to link violence to a peaceful movement for statehood.
TPJAC chairman Prof Kodandaram alleged that the Centre was delaying the decision on Telangana at the behest of some Seemandhra leaders. However, he said that the Centre would not be able to maintain status quo for a longer period. He claimed that it was the fear of protest by pro-Telagnana activists that forced the Prime Minister to use helicopter from Begumpet Airport to HICC to attend the global biodiversity conference. He said the fear itself reflects the gravity of movement seeking statehood for Telangana region.
Prof Kodandaram also announced that AP Formation Day on November 1 would be observed as Telagnana Betrayal Day. He said the TPJAC’s Steering Committee would meet soon to finalise the roadmap for agitation.
TRS MLA Pocharam Srinivas Reddy, former MLA Nayani Narasimha Reddy, BJP leader Baddam Bal Reddy and other leaders also participated in the protest meeting. (INN)