The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today accused the Congress-led UPA Government of not being serious on the issue surrounding the formation of a separate Telangana state.
BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar alleged that the Congress has been betraying the people for the last so many years on the issue.
“Telangana’s demand is a demand for justice. We want complete statehood of Telangana,” he said, while reiterating that the BJP will agree for nothing less than complete statehood of Telangana.
Meanwhile, Congress leaders from the Seemandhra region met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi over the Telangana issue.
According to reports, Congress leaders from the Seemandhra have threatened to quit the party if the government gives in to the demands of the creation of Telangana.
The factions within the Congress party came more to the fore as pro-Telangana Congress leaders have also exerted pressure on the government on the issue.
“My appeal is to one and all atleast in the Congress ranks. Since last 56-57 years this has been on. We the people of Telangana want natural justice. The natural justice done from the centre like an elder person, everybody should accept it,” a pro-Telengana Congress lawmaker Sudhakar Reddy said.
Congress MPs from Telangana have so far accused the Centre of following what they call a ‘one-step-forward-two-backward’ approach when it comes to addressing their demand for a separate state.
The Centre’s flip-flop over the issue began in December 2009 when the then Home Minister P. Chidambaram promised the formation of a new state only to go back on it after a few days.
The issue was later pushed before a committee headed by Justice B.N. Srikrishna. This panel did not come up with a tangible solution, but instead presented six options.
These included the creation of a Telangana Regional Council within Andhra, bifurcation of the state into Telangana with Hyderabad as the capital and Seemandhra with a new capital; bifurcation of the state into Seemandhra and Telangana after making Hyderabad a Union Territory; bifurcation of the state into Seemandhra and Telangana with enlarged Hyderabad metropolis as a Union Territory; bifurcation of the state into Rayala Telangana and Coastal Andhra; and maintenance of status quo. (ANI)