Corner CM, Harish asks T Ministers

Hyderabad: TRS legislator T Harish Rao demanded Telangana Congress ministers in the Cabinet to corner Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy for taking anti-Telangana stance in the Core Committee meet held at New Delhi recently. Addressing a press conference here, Harish was highly critical of Kiran Reddy over his explanations to Congress top brass that former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had opposed statehood for Telangana in the past and there was a good chance of Naxalism raising its ugly head in the new state. "Chief Minister should have known the exact reason for increase of naxal activities in Telangana. Angered by Congress party's refusal to concede statehood in 1969, many youth took to Naxalism thereafter," he reasoned. Harish also took exception to Seemandhra Congress leaders' malicious campaign on TRS party's performance in panchayat elections. Even though TRS candidates were unanimously elected in 200 panchayats with the party securing first position in four districts, some Congress leaders were giving false information to their high command that pro-Telangana party secured only 70-80 panchayats, he rued. "All parties (Congress, TDP and YSR Congress) are attracting Telangana voters by speaking in support of statehood at the time of elections. However if TRS wins few seats due to money power yielded by the rival parties, a wrong message is being propagated that Telangana sentiment is on the decline," Harish added. Meanwhile, the TRS leader flayed Congress MP Vundavalli Arun Kumar of wavering his stand on separate statehood on several occasions' right from the 'Jai Andhra movement' of early 1970s when he supported statehood for Andhra. Both the states could have been developed already had Andhra Pradesh was bifurcated then itself, he stated. Earlier a large number of TDP leaders from Narsapur Assembly constituency in Medak district (represented by Minister Sunitha Laxma Reddy) joined TRS in the presence of T Harish Rao.

Tollywood backed Jai Andhra Hyderabad: Harish Rao stated that there was a big support for Jai Andhra movement of early 1970s with even heavy weights from Telugu film industry vocally backing the statehood demand. Leading actors Krishna, Krishnam Raju, SV Ranga Rao and actresses like Vanisri, Jamuna, Anjali pitched for bifurcation of the State. However, their pleas fell on deaf ears depriving both Telangana and Andhra regions of all round development, which would have been a reality if two states were formed, Harish opined while talking to reporters here.