New Delhi, December 13: Asserting that there would be no going back on the issue of Telangana statehood, Telangana Rashtra Samiti chief K Chandrasekhar Rao today said it was now up to the Centre to solve the imbroglio by taking a suo motu action.
He said there was no need for a resolution in the state Assembly and it was within the jurisdiction of the Central Government to bring out a notification on creation of a separate state.
“I have great faith in Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Soniaji always loved me and treated me like her son. It was because of her leadership and her grace that today the Telangana state is being formed,” he told a television channel. Insisting that “there is no deadline and no hardline”, he also said after having made anannouncement it was upto them to solve the issue.
“They have invited me to go to Delhi for talks. I am not keeping well and will be able to do so after ten days,” he said.
Terming the anti-Telangana protests as motivated and being carried out by people who have vested interests, he said, “Now, no one can stop Telengana (from being formed)… Once an arrow is out of the bow, it cannot be taken back.” On the vast number of Congress legislators quitting overthe issue, Mr Rao pointed out that it is no more a Congress party issue.
“Mr P Chidambaram (Home Minister) clearly said it is a statement by the Government of India. It now becomes prestige of the Government of India to see to it that it is implemented.” Arguing that Hyderabad will be the capital of Telangana, Mr Rao said Hyderabad cannot be like Chandigarh — as capital of both Andhra Pradesh and the proposed new state.
“Andhra and Telangana had been traditionally separate states, with Hyderabad being the capital of Telangana and Kunnor of Andhra.
It is also geographically so located that Andhra region would be at least 200 kms away,” he pointed out.
Also, he said of its one-crore population, 95 percent people are from Telangana and just two to three lakh are from Andhra.
To a query on reported fears of Andhra-ites that they would not be secure in Hyderabad, if it is made capital of Telangana, Mr Rao said Hyderabad is such a place that is very “affectionate and has a good society”.
“The whole world loves Hyderabad. It absorbs all types of people. Former Chief Election Commissioner J M Lyngdoh who is from North East, has opted to live in Hyderabad after retirement,” he said and dismissed its comparison with Chandigarh, saying, ”Chandigarh and Hyderabad can never be compared.”
Following the deteriorating condition of the TRS chief, who had been on fast for eleven days, the Centre had announced on Wednesday that the process of Telengana formation would soon be initiated.
–Agencies