[1]Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy on Wednesday linked carving out of Telangana state to similar demands in other states, thus indicating that the division is not in the near future as portrayed by the separate statehood forces. The CM said the Centre would have to study the “reflections” of its decision on Telangana on other states.
Asked whether he meant no Telangana state at all, he said he was only making his observation that division of states is a larger issue than just Telangana. “It is a national issue,” Mr Reddy said. The CM’s observation gained significance in the wake of Telangana forces like TRS chief K. Chandrasekhar Rao and Congress leaders from the region asserting that the Centre would announce separate Telangana immediately after Presidential poll. Mr Reddy reiterated that he was for an early decision on the contentious issue and has been asking the Central leadership to put end to ambiguity on the issue.
He laughed off rumours that there would be “changes: including his replacement after the Presidential polls. “The Sun will continue to rise in the East,” he quipped. Asked about his own Cabinet colleagues criticising him, the CM said, “You saw what happened to those who crossed the party lakshman rekha.” Coming in strong support of extending legal aid to ministers, he said the government was convinced that there was no quid pro quo in issuing GOs in so far as the ministers were concerned.
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