Telangana issue was raised on the second day too at the Orientation Program for MLAs and MLCs on Standing Committees.
It may be recalled that the Telangana Nagara Samithi convener and Nagarkurnool MLA Dr Nagam Janardhan Reddy and TRS MLA Enugu Ravinder Reddy raised the Telangana issue when the former Lok Sabha Speaker and Punjab Governor Shivaraj Patil was delivering the inaugural address on “Role and Functions of Standing Committees”, as part of orientation program for Legislators at Old Assembly Hall here Monday evening. Even Nagam asked the State Governor ESL Narasimhan to speak on Telangana issue rather than Standing Committees while he was getting ready to deliver his speech.
TRS MLA T Harish Rao has lodged his protest at the Union Minister Oscar Fernandez while the latter was delivering his speech on Standing Committees at the Orientation Program for Legislators held at Lahari Resorts here on Tuesday.
Harish Rao said the statement of the Union Minister Vayilar Ravi that taking decision on creation of separate Telangana State was not easy like making ‘Dosa’ was nothing but dishonoring the four crore people of the Telangana region. He said that Ravi made similar sarcastic statements earlier too on Telangana issue. He demanded Ravi to withdraw his remarks immediately, as they lowered the sentiments of the people of the region. The Centre has the responsibility of taking a decision on Telangana issue. The youth of the region were committing suicides just because of the indecisive attitude of the Centre, he bemoaned.
At this juncture, AICC secretary and MLC Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy obstructed Harish Rao and questioned the latter as to why he was raising the Telangana issue here. “Is this a stage to raise Telangana issue”, Ponguleti questioned.
Along with Harish Rao, TRS MLAs responded strongly and said that they have got elected on the plank of Telangana issue and the TRS was evolved only for the sake of Telangana issue. “We speak only on Telangana issue and we do not speak other than Telagnana issue. We have no agenda other than Telangana”, they said. They also said that the TRS was not demanding the Centre to create separate Telangana State tonight. The TRS only demanding the Centre to fulfill the assurances given to the people of the Telangana, they said and added that the AICC Chief Sonia Gandhi had assured the people of the region on Telangana issue in public meetings held in the region during her election campaign. They alleged that Ponguleti questioning TRS leaders was only for expecting second tenure of MLC seat.
At this moment, Oscar Fernandez interfered and succeeded in making the members to maintain silence.
–Agencies