In a move bound to raise heckles, the Telangana Congress has asked Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu to quit Hyderabad and accept the fact that Telangana was now a separate State.
State Congress vice-president and party’s deputy leader in legislative Council Mohammed Ali Shabbir launched a strident attack on Naidu describing him a “curse” and holding him responsible for the suicide by hundreds of farmers in Telangana. Ali Shabbir charged Naidu with interfering in the affairs of Telangana and obstructing the development of Telangana region. “After obstructing power supply to Telangana and trying to deprive it of its share in Krishna river waters, now he was trying to encroach upon Telangana’s rights to conduct common entrance test Eamcet for our students”, he told a Press conference in Hyderabad.
“Naidu should take his Government out of Hyderabad at the earliest and accept the reality that Andhra Pradesh has been bifurcated”, he said. This is the first time since the formation of Telangana State on June 2 last that the Congress has targeted Naidu so strongly. So it was the TRS which was taking on Naidu on the issue of power, water and education. Even as the Telugu Desam Party continuing its efforts to make its presence felt in Telangana thanks to a solid vote bank of Seemandhra people settled in the region, Shabbir said that Naidu’s Government in Andhra Pradesh had obstructed power supply to Telangana during last kharif season leading to the huge loss of crop and causing suicides by hundreds of farmers.
Naidu while planning to move his Government offices to Vijaywada and Guntur by April, has ruled out the possibility of his leaving Hyderabad completely before the period of 10 years as Hyderabad has been declared a common capital of the two States for a decade under the AP State Reorganisation Act. “We have a right to be here for 10 years”, he said.