YSR announces legislative committee on separate Telangana

Hyderabad: The Congress government in Andhra Pradesh Thursday decided to constitute a joint committee of both houses of the state legislature to look into the demand for a separate Telangana state.

Making a statement in the state assembly on the last day of the last session before elections, Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy said his government had no objection ibn principle to formation of a separate Telangana state.

The government of Andhra Pradesh "feels that the time has come to move forward decisively on this issue. However, before taking a decision, many of the issues need to be resolved as serious concerns have been raised by the stakeholders," he said.

Referring to the reservations of the Muslim community, he said: "Minorities, especially Muslims, have concerns about their safety in separate state."

"There are also demands for a separate statehood to north Andhra and Rayalseema regions. So, it has to be decided whether the state should be divided into two, three or four states," he said.

The committee would deliberate the issues and concerns on the formation of Telangana and further steps would be taken after its report to the government, he said.

Pandemonium prevailed in the house during the brief statement by the chief minister as members of opposition parties trooped into the well of the house. They demanded a debate on the alleged financial irregularities in the companies owned by the chief minister's son, Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy.

Members of Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS), which is fighting for separate Telangana, raised slogans and alleged that it was the Congress party which betrayed the region on several occasions.

However, the chief minister refuted the allegations.

"Never in the past has the Congress party deceived anyone nor it will do it in future," he said.

"The demand for formation of separate Telangana state is highly emotive issue and the one which is close to my heart and also to the Congress party," he added.

Immediately after the chief minister's statement, Speaker K. R. Suresh Reddy adjourned the house sine die.

The opposition parties dismissed the chief minister's statement on Telangana as a 'ploy'. Leader of Opposition N. Chandrababu Naidu of the Telugu Desam Party said it was a drama by the ruling party to again deceive the people of the region.

TRS leader Harish Rao predicted that the Congress party would not win even a single seat in the Telangana region in the coming elections. He said people would not trust the Congress, which had gone back on its promise made before 2004 elections.

The chief minister's statement is seen as a ruling party move to counter the 'grand alliance' comprising main opposition Telugu Desam Party, TRS, Communist Party of India (CPI) and Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) in the ensuing assembly and Lok Sabha elections.

Taking a u-turn on the issue, the TDP recently supported the demand for separate Telangana, facilitating an alliance with the TRS.

The Congress came under pressure from its own cadre in the region to take a clear stand on the issue before the elections. (IANS)