Did not belittle Telangana protest, says CM Kiran Kumar

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Hyderabad: Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy said on Monday that he never disparaged the decades old Telangana agitation and aspirations of people fighting for statehood.
Speaking in the Assembly, the Chief Minister said that the police taking precautionary measures in view of the Chalo Assembly agitation was not belittling the agitation. “The Telangana issue is there for 50 years. In fact, we have already requested the Centre to take a decision quickly,” he said.
Reacting to criticism by Opposition parties against what they described as police excesses, the Chief Minister said the government took adequate security measures in view of the statement by political parties that one person from each household in Telangana, running into lakhs of people, would besiege Hyderabad.
“Police maintained restraint and ensured that no untoward incident took place,” he said. Earlier, heated arguments took place between Congress and Telugu Desam members. It started with senior Telugu Desam leader E. Dayakar Rao announcing that his leader Chandrababu Naidu was ready to sign on a letter with any content drafted by Sonia Gandhi if that ensured the formation of Telangana.
He took objection to the Congress blaming the TD for the delay in formation of T despite his party making its pro-Telangana stand amply clear. Dayakar Rao also took potshots against TRS chief K. Chandrasekhar Rao, who the former said, would vow to fight for Telangana even whie sleeping in his farm house. “The TRS is a drama company and is extending tacit support to the Congress as both do not wish to see a T state,” he alleged.
Finance Minister Anam Ramanarayana Reddy said that some parties were insisting on a resolution despite knowing that formation of a separate state was not in the purview of the state and a resolution in the House would not yield any result. CPI floor leader G Mallesh said that his party invited a resolution on T irrespective of its fate. “We do not mind even if the resolution is defeated but government should introduce it,” he said.
Telangana congress leaders to meet today
Hyderabad: Telangana Congress leaders, including ministers, MPs and Legislators will meet in city at the Exhibition Society’s office on Tuesday to chalk out an action plan to get Telangana before 2014 elections. Senior Congress minister K. Jana Reddy personally invited all the leaders for the meeting.
Speaking to this newspaper, Jana Reddy said the present political situation will be reviewed to chalk out a definite programme to bring pressure on the Congress High Command to take a favourable decision on Telangana. “There is no question of facing elections in 2014 without Telangana,” he said.