BJP condemns police action against Telangana

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Condemning the police action against pro-Telangana protesters at Delhi, Andhra Pradesh unit of BJP unit on Tuesday said the Congress-led UPA Government was not keen to grant statehood to Telangana and was only deceiving the people of the region on the decades-old issue.

Speaking to reporters here, State BJP spokesperson NVSS Prabhakar said, "I strongly condemn the 'highhandedness' of Delhi Police who, used force to quell the hundreds of peaceful Pro-Telangana protesters."

The attitude of the Centre towards the issue clearly indicates that it was not interested in fulfilling the long- standing desire of the people of Telangana, he claimed.

The Congress is not able to digest growing influence of BJP in Telangana as the 'double speak' of the ruling party on the statehood issue was being exposed by our party, Prabhakar said.

"If Congress MPs from Telangana are sincere about the separate state issue, they should mount pressure on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and AICC President Sonia Gandhi by organising sit-ins in front of their residences," he demanded.

Senior party leaders L.K. Advani and Sushma Swaraj would take part in a 'dharna' at Jantar Mantar on Wednesday to press for statehood to Telangana, he announced.

Police on Tuesday used water cannons and tear gas shells to disperse the protesters, largely BJP workers, when they tried to march towards the residence of Prime Minister in support of demand for a separate Telangana state.