Chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy’s reported argument that formation of Telangana state would resurrect extremism in the region has been condemned by PCC chief Botcha Satyanarayana.
Botcha, who also hails from the Seemandhra region like Kiran Reddy, said, “This argument just doesn’t hold water. Only the policies of any government as well as administrative capabilities of rulers influence it and not the dimensions of the state.”
The PCC boss, who returned to Hyderabad on Tuesday night from Delhi after holding parleys with his party top brass on the T-issue, had an informal chat with mediapersons at Gandhi Bhavan here on Wednesday. “If a large state really checks extremism, how Maoists were able to attack the convoy of the then chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu in our state?” he asked.
Botcha recalled that Maoist violence has come down after the Congress came to power in the state in 2004. “Between 2000 and 2003, Andhra Pradesh had witnessed thousands of Maoist-related incidents. But, after 2004, there were only minor incidents,” he added.
T-Decision Soon
Botcha said his party high command would take a clear decision on the Telangana issue by the end of this month.
“The proposed Congress Working Committee meeting will pass a resolution saying either ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to state bifurcation. I believe there won’t be any ambiguity in the Congress party’s stance after the meeting,” said Botcha.
Botcha also dismissed the speculations in party circles that the CWC would only authorise AICC president Sonia Gandhi to take the final decision. “The meet will settle the T-issue once and for all,” he asserted.
For and against T
Denying that he had submitted a road map for keeping the state as it is, the state Congress boss said he had submitted two separate reports explaining the consequences in both the scenarios--division and status quo.
“I have submitted two different road maps citing the reasons for United Andhra as well as Telangana state. I left the decision to my party high command and did not suggest any solution,” Botcha said.
However, he acknowledged that he had argued for according Union territory status to Hyderabad for at least 25 years in case of bifurcation.
“If division of Andhra Pradesh is imminent, then it is better to make Hyderabad as a Union territory till employment opportunities are generated in Seemandhra,” he said.