Voice and sentiment of the people of Andhra Pradesh were being sacrificed at the altar of political convenience, Anakapalle MP Sabbam Hari said and demanded that the Congress withdraw the move to bifurcate the State.
Lashing out at the Central leadership of the Congress for not taking into confidence the stakeholders before announcing a decision to form a separate Telangana State by dividing the State, he told mediapersons that this only reflected the scant respect they had for the Telugu people.
He lamented that the Congress announced a decision on the division of the State as though it was its private property and did not comprise people who have an opinion.
He lashed out at AICC leader Digvijay Singh and the leadership for trying to muzzle the people’s representatives by directing them not to make any comments on the decision of the CWC on bifurcation of the State.
The elected representatives have to voice the concerns of the people who voted them, he said. Dissent is an inherent component of party democracy and it was totally undemocratic to issue such a diktat, he said.
Conceding that withdrawing the decision would see a backlash in Telangana region, he said the Centre should take all steps to appease the leaders from that region before announcing its decision. It is a call the Central leadership has to take before things go out of hand in the State.
The people of the Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema are seething and things could go out of hand if their concerns are not addressed, he said.
He urged Congress party president to take a leaf from Indira Gandhi who crushed the separatist movement during her regime and help the State grow to its full potential.
