Telangana comments: Andhra ministers under fire

Ministers from Andhra and Rayalseema regions of Andhra Pradesh have invited the wrath of the votaries of Telangana by calling the Telangana movement 'anti national,' 'seditious' and a 'threat to the integrity of the nation.'

They took the extreme stand against Telangana in their written representation to the Srir Krishna committee constituted by the Central government to go into the issue.

Apart from almost all the opposition parties, several Congress leaders from Telangana region have also strongly condemned the representation of the ministers of other regions questioning the very appointment of the Sri Krishna panel to go in to the issue.

Telangana Rashtra Samiti has given a call for rasta roko on Sunday throughout Telangana region to protest against the utterances of the Andhra ministers.

Strongly condemning their representation to the committee, TRS President K Chandrasekhara Rao demanded that all the 16 ministers should be dismissed from the cabinet for making such remarks against Telangana people. "They are not fit to be the ministers", he said.

He also demanded an unconditional apology from them. "It is for the Chief Minister K Rosaiah to ask these ministers to tender an apology to the people of Telangana," he said.

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader M Venkaiah Naidu also strongly criticised the statement of the ministers.

"It is amazing that in view of these ministers seeking a separate state is anti national", he told a news conference in Hyderabad. He asked whether state Congress president D Srinivas and Union home minister P Chidambaram committed sedition by demanding Telangana state and saying that the process of the formation of Telangana state had begun.

"After the bypoll outcome, the Congress should open its eyes. Otherwise it will suffer more damage," he said.

Senior Congress Rajya Sabha member V Hanumantha Rao and Convenor of Congress MP's Forum Ponnam Prabhakar have also condemned the position taken by the Andhra ministers.

"The defeat of Congress candidates in the recent by election is reflection of the fact that the people of Telangana want separate state," he said.

Ponnam Prabhakar said that he will lodge a complaint with the party high command against the inappropriate statements made by Andhra ministers.  "A case should be booked against the ministers for making objectionable statement," he said.

The minister in their representation to the committee said, "Demanding for a separate state on the grounds of self respect and self rule is equivalent to waging a war against the Indian Union. This is the most reprehensible and dubious ground for formation of a new state under Article 3 of the Constitution. It is surprising that Central government has appointed to look into these anti-national demands".

Telangana leaders of Telugu Desam have also come down heavily on the ministers from Andhra region.

"It is regrettable that these ministers were so ignorant about the issue of Telangana state," said Kadiam Srihari. Another leader Nagam Janardhan Reddy condemning the stand of the ministers said, "The outcome of the recent by elections should be respected by all".