Don’t commit suicide for Telangana statehood: Swaraj

The BJP leader had raised the issue in a big way in the Lok Sabha two days agback.

Swaraj,who is the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha,had moved a calling Attention Motion in the House on Friday that saw a heated debate over the issue.

The debate saw charges and countercharges between the Congress members from Telangana and those from rest of Andhra Pradesh and it was a tough time for the government managers to control them.

Participating in the debate,Swaraj had charged that people were led into believing UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi when she promised at an election meeting in Karimnagar in 2004 that if voted to power,Congress would grant statehood to Telangana.

She had also alleged that the “injustice” done by Justice Srikrishna will not be forgotten ever in the history of Telangana and had termed the Srikrishna Commission report on the matter as an “AICC report”

Meanwhile,slamming Union Home Minister P Chidambaram for his comment that political parties in Andhra Pradesh should first make up their mind on Telangana issue,the BJP demanded that the Centre should conduct a referendum in the region.

In view of the prevailing political situation in the state,President Pratibha Patil should take the initiative to conduct a referendum in Telangana whether people there want separate statehood or not,BJP state unit President G Kishan Reddy told reporters in Hyderabad.

“Public opinion would be more important than consensus of political parties,” he said.

Referring to the Home Minister’s appeal that all political parties in Andhra Pradesh should first “make up their mind” and complete their process of consultation on Telangana issue,the BJP leader said the people,irrespective of their political affiliation,are in favour of a separate state for Telangana.

“How can a consensus be arrived among the opportunistic political parties,who provoked the people in the region,when Home Minister Chidambaram had made announcement on December 9,2009 on Telangana issue,” Reddy alleged.

Alleging that both– the ruling Congress as well as the main opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP)– have lost their credibility due to their double standards on the issue,Reddy said the statement of the Home Minister shows the bankruptcy of Congress as Chidambaram had announced two years ago that the process for carving out Telangana state has began.

“It was unfortunate that various schemes,including welfare programmes are not being implemented properly due to the chaotic political and administrative situation in the state in the last two years,” he said.

Opposition Leader in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj called on the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other leaders for deletion of controversial Clause 14 (F) of Presidential Order of 1975 that makes Hyderabad a “free zone”,Reddy said.

He claimed Sushma Swaraj telephoned him this morning and informed that the Centre is likely to take a final decision on the issue in a few days.

Responding to a Calling Attention Motion on Telangana issue on Friday last,Chidambaram told the Lok Sabha that as many as four political parties of Andhra Pradesh,out of eight,have not yet “made up their mind” on Telangana.

“Kindly make up your mind fast,” Chidambaram asked the four parties — Congress,TDP,MIM and YSR Congress – which are undecided.

“We are urging the parties: kindly complete your process of consultation…then we can call a meeting,” he said.