Cong trying to delay Telangana issue: BJP

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday accused the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government of acting in an 'irresponsible and childish' manner on the Telangana issue and maintained that delay in formation of the state would harm the interests of both Andhra Pradesh and the Telangana region.

"The Srikrishna Commission report shows that they deliberately want to delay the issue. We want Telangana at the earliest," BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain told mediapersons.

Later, a delegation of students from Telangana met Hussain and Bhartiya Janata Yuva Morcha Chief Anurag Thakur. The students raised slogans against Congress President Sonia Gandhi. They also told Hussain that the BJP had earlier dilly-dallied on the Telangana issue and 'ditched' the people of the region by tying up with parties that are against the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.

Hussain assured them that the BJP was firm on its demand for a separate state of Telangana and would not enter into any alliance with any party not favouring carving out of a Telangana state. He took potshots at the Congress, saying the BJP had the expertise on formation of smaller states as it had formed three states -- Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand.

"The Congress can seek advice from us on how to form new states," Hussain said.