KCR decries 'family packages' remark

• KCR lambasts PM's A stoic silence on T
• 'Even Parliament attender appreciated T demand'
• KCR says T won't be a reality unless Cong routed

Hyderabad : The Telangana Rashtra Samiti Chief K Chandrasekhar Rao slammed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as well as the Congress leadership for the stoic silence being maintained by them on the demand for Telangana state despite the fact that hundreds of youths and students sacrificed their lives in the fight for statehood.

Addressing a mammoth public meeting at the Nizam College grounds here, where he welcomed into his party fold a host of leaders including two Congress MPs - Manda Jagannadham and G Vivekanand -- and a former PCC Chief K Keshav Rao, he came down heavily on the AICC General Secretary in-charge of AP affairs, Ghulam Nabi Azad for his remarks against them while deserting the Congress party.

Dismissing Azad's charge that the Dalit MPs and former PCC Chief had unsuccessfully bargained for family packages with the Congress high command before joining TRS for political gains, he said it was unbecoming of the Congress leader to make light of their sacrifices. Stating that the people of Telangana fighting for the statehood were not ready to take things lying low any longer, he said they would be interested only to know when the Centre would take a decision on the statehood demand. This June or the next June, he questioned.

Exhorting the people, who turned out in huge numbers from all the ten districts of Telangana region, to join the campaign against Seemandhra parties, the TRS supremo said that the dream of statehood would be realized only with the Congress buried politically in the next general elections once and for all in the region.A He wondered why Prime Minister Manmohan Singh remained unmoved like a 'stone' even while an attender, inspired by the T movement ventured to greet the Telangana MPs in the Parliament with "Jai Telangana chant".

The fight for statehood, that had drawn support and sympathy from the watch and ward staff in Parliament house, had unfortunately failed to move the Prime Minister. "We cannot understand whether the PM was listening to us or laughing at us when we appeal to the Government for statehood" he said adding that the Telangana Congress Ministers were indeed of no use for the T cause.

They were in no position even to raise their voice when Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy threatened to give not even a rupee for T region. There should have been a case filed against the CM for such remarks, but ironically there was a case "filed against me in Khammam for my comments on the PM", KCR said.

Seemandhra rulers were trying to plunder Bayyaram ore. They had already taken away our resources in the region like water, jobs, etc, KCR said. "Enough is enough and we will not allow you to do so in future". Thanking those leaders who had deserted the Congress Party, Telugu Desam and other political parties and joined TRS, he announced that K Keshav Rao would be sent to Parliament to play a key role in T state for its reconstruction which will remain a great welfare state in India.

As we cannot remain secondary citizens any longer, we must take on Andhra parties and defeat them, he said, and added that all the key posts in the State including the Chief Minister, PCC chief, Assembly Speaker and chairmanship of the council were held by the Seemandhra leaders. Will there be any scope for a leader from Telangana to become the Chief Minister in the event of the TDP or YSRCP coming to power?

Quoting BPR Vithal, former Chief Secretary, he said that the Telangana was endowed with abundant resources and we would ensure their optimal use for development. He said the new state would provide free compulsory education, pucca houses for poor and minorities and health facilities.

Kesava Rao stated that T movement was a fight for a just cause. Despite our long wait, the Congress could not take a decision on the statehood demand so far, he said. Now it is for the people of the region to fight for the cause and we will play a key role in the movement. The Center should deliver T lest the Congress party would cease to exist in the region, he said amid applause from those who thronged the grounds in large numbers.

Into the TRS A fold

Those who joined TRS on the occasion are: Manda Jagannadham, G Vivekanand, both MPs; K Keshav Rao, former PCC Chief; G Vinod, former Minister; P Chandrasekhar Rao, former Minister (Telugu Desam); Yousuf (CPI); Manik Reddy, former MP (Medak); K Viplav, M Srinath, Dr Narsaiah, M Janardhan Reddy (TDP); Sivaprasad, Venkatesh Goud, Sudhakar Reddy, Layak Ali, G Srinivas Reddy, Harikrishna, Krishna Rao, Mallikarjun Rao.