Congress is not opposed in principle to carving out Telangana State, but the posturing of Telangana Rashtra Samiti president K. Chandrasekhar Rao against people from the Andhra region is dangerous, Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy said here on Saturday.
At a press conference, Dr. Reddy played an audio clipping of Mr. Rao’s speech in Karimnagar and distributed newspaper clippings of the alleged ‘inflammatory’ statements made by the TRS president in which he had categorically threatened to close down all Andhra corporate colleges. “It is a shame on Mr. Nara Chandrababu Naidu to seek support from such a person in the Grand Alliance and I demand Mr. Naidu get an apology from him on his anti-Andhra statements,” he added.
Clarification
Asked why he was making these statements after the Phase-I elections, Dr. Reddy denied that he was trying to create any regional divide. “Let them go and make a complaint to the Election Commission or any other higher authority, I am not bothered,” he said.
Displaying clippings of The Hindu and two other newspapers, he questioned as to how he could digest such statements of TRS president on corporate colleges of the Andhra region and his vow to break the Pothireddypadu project.
If Mr. Chandrababu Naidu comes to power with the support of such a party would he support all these actions, Dr. Reddy questioned.
“Ironically even Andhra meals are banned in Nizamabad,” he pointed out and denied that his own statements were out of context. “Those criticising me now, should have talked about Chandrasekhar Rao’s statements then”.
The Chief Minister said the seniors had spoken against him a day before polling for the byelections but were silenced after the results.
This improved his stock with the Congress high command, he stated. “Pranab Mukherjee and three other national leaders appreciated my opposition to taking along the TRS in 2004 elections”, he said.
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