Hyderabad can be shared for sometime in event of division: TRS

In a bid to placate anti-Telangana groups, Telangana Rashtra Samithi president K Chandrasekhar Rao on Wednesday said Hyderabad can be a shared capital for two states for a "limited period" in the event of division of Andhra Pradesh, if that is an acceptable solution to the contentious Telangana issue.

"They (non-Telangana regions) can live happily if a separate state is created. The Centre can give them a package.

Shared capital (Hyderabad) can be a possibility for limited period of time. They can run their administration in Hyderabad until a new capital, infrastructure is developed for them," he told PTI.

He, however, made it clear that his party and other supporters of separate statehood demand would not accept separate Telangana without Hyderabad.

Asked about the suggestion of making Hyderabad a Union Territory, he asked how it was going to benefit non-Telangana regions.

"Let me make it very clear. Why Hyderabad should be made a Union Territory? Who is going to be benefited? People of Telangana would lose it, but how Andhra region people are going to benefit.

"In fact, the trend is that union territories like Delhi and Pondicherry have been made states," he said. He urged the Centre to take a quick decision on the Telangana issue claiming the 'sakala janula samme' (strike by all sections of people), which began on September 13, has witnessed massive participation of people and paralysed normal life in Telangana.

"The Centre had made a promise to the people of separate Telangana to form a separate state and it must keep up its promise," he said.

Replying to a query, Rao claimed that Telangana supporters did not indulge in any violence during the strike. "If any violence has happened, it was only because of the policemen and the state government," he alleged.

The TRS president said the agitation would continue till it achieved its goal.

"All sections of people are participating... This agitation will continue till it achieves its goal," he said. Replying to a query, he said, "I am told by somebody there is some movement in Delhi. I request the Centre to resolve the issue without delay before any untoward incident takes place."

Asked about the talk of TRS being merged with Congress to pave way for formation of separate Telangana, he said there is no such proposal before him. "There is no such proposal before us," he said.

Addressing a gathering in the party office earlier in the day, he hoped that a positive decision would come on the separate statehood demand in one or two months.