Putting an end to their coyness, the Congress leaders from Telangana region on Sunday came out in full support of a separate State of Telanagana as they organised a massive show of strength in Hyderabad on Sunday.
But they made it a point to say that their slogan was “Jai Telangana, Jai Congress.” (long live Telangana, long live Congress). The public meeting passed a resolution calling for formation of Telangana State. Minister Ponnala lakshmaiah, who moved the resolution, said, “The people of Telangana State don’t want anything less than Telangana State”.
Sprawling Nizam College Grounds in Hyderabad echoed with the slogans in support of both the cause and the party as leader after leader proclaimed that they will not accept anything less than Telangana State. They also sounded a veiled warning to the party high command that any further delay in taking inevitable decision will only erode the party’s
Several top leaders, including deputy Chief Minister Damodar Rajanarasimha, led motor cycle rally of supporters to the venue while others accompanied their supporters from all the nine districts of the region.
lashing out at the state of affairs over the last 58 years in United Andhra Pradesh, Rajanarsimha said that for the 44 years of this period, the State had Chief Ministers only from Andhra and the Rayalaseema region, as Telangana suffered injustices on all the fronts.
“Telangana has a long history of three thousand years. Its problems and its aspirations will not be met by any package. This is the fight for survival and self respect,” he said. He reminded that Telangana was fighting for a separate State for the last six decades.
Congress workers and Telangana supporters came to Hyderabad by buses, trains, trucks and all other available means of transport as the beleaguered party went on an offensive for the first time.
This show of strength as well as unity among the Telangana Congress leaders marks a new phase in this agitation. While Congress was overshadowed by other parties specially Telangana Rashtra Samiti and the BJP till now, Congress men today appeared more confident.
Minister for Civil Supplies D Sridhar Babu owned the Telangana movement. “Congress has been fighting for Telangana state for the last 60 years. It was Congress which had passed the first resolution for Telangana and sent it to Sonia Gandhi,” he said.
Dr J Geeta Reddy, a senior minister, said, “Finally, it is the Congress party which is going to give a Telangana State and we will bring it. We will achieve Telangana under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi”.
“We have organised this meeting to declare that we will be in the forefront in the struggle for Telangana State till its formation,” said another minister K Jana Reddy.
Madhu Yashki, Congress MP from Nizamabad, said that only a national party can make Telangana a reality. “All others are making just noises,” he said ridiculing those Congress MPs, MlAs and other leaders who left party to join other parties in the name of Telangana.
Congress MP from Secunderabad Anjan Kumar Yadav said that Telangana will be announced next month and people of the region will celebrate next Bonalu festival in their own State.
MP Ponam Prabhakar said that giving Telangana State was responsibility of Congress party as it had repeatedly made the promise.
Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, who had quit the cabinet on Telangana issue asked the partymen to be ready to take tough decisions and make sacrifices for the sake of separate State.