T sentiment is strong: Digvijay

Promises to take pleas to High Command Visakhapatnam: The Telangana sentiment has emerged even stronger after 2009 and the demand for a separate state has become a burning issue, Digvijay Singh, AICC General Secretary in-charge of Andhra Pradesh, said here on Sunday. The Government of India, especially the Congress Party, respects the wishes of the people of Andhra Pradesh and we shall take a decision as soon as possible on the separate state, he said. Speaking to the media, he said: "On other side is of course the reaction of a united Andhra and both the issues have been raised from time to time and historically too the same issues have been raised before that also". "My earlier tenure was much more peaceful when Dr Y S Rajasekhara Reddy was the Chief Minister. The issues were different and the way the Congress delivered the pro-poor and pro-farmers programmes got us elected again in 2009." When asked about unrest in the State, Digvijay Singh said there is total peace in the State; there may be some disturbances here and there but "I must compliment the Chief Minister Mr Kiran Kumar Reddy for the way he handled the issues." Digvijay Singh assured the Samaikya Andhra JAC leaders and State ministers, who are supporting a unified State, that he would take their representations to the notice of the party High Command. When questioned by the media, he declined to elaborate saying that it was not the right platform to discuss the issue, as his visit was private. Earlier, Singh inaugurated the new building of Kshatriya Samkshema Samiti here. The building has been donated by Alluri Sita Rama Raju, a prominent industrialist. The AICC leader, on his first visit after becoming AP in-charge, was accorded a warm reception at the airport by party leaders, including T Subbarami Reddy, MP.