Criticising the rival parties for reading too much into Telangana-related developments, Congress senior leader M. Kodanda Reddy categorically said that the separate statehood issue would not figure on the agenda of the party State-level convention to be held on December 16.
Causing confusion
He charged the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) with trying to cause confusion among the public with their twisted arguments over the proposed meeting of political parties’ representatives called by the Union Home Ministry. “It is just an opinion-gathering exercise. The rival parties are just over excited,” he added.
Mr. Kodanda Reddy, who came here as an observer to the district membership drive programme, addressed a press conference on Thursday afternoon when he said that as a senior leader from Telangana region, he had thorough knowledge of many issues and problems surrounding separate statehood issue. The TRS had no moral right to question the Congress on this issue, as this party was continuing its confused stand despite knowing their experiences for the past 10 years, he added.
Replying to a question, Mr. Kodanda Reddy said that he would not like to comment on the charge levelled by Congress MP from Eluru Kavuri Sambasiva Rao who found fault with the party national leadership for not taking a conclusive stand on the Telangana issue. He asserted that their party was not at all discussing about the separate statehood demand at any forum within the party as of now.
Earlier, addressing the meeting, Finance Minister Anam Ramanarayana Reddy said that the SC, ST sub-plan was passed in the Assembly with the focus now turning on the implementation aspect. He said the party cadres should actively participate in the activities aimed at strengthening the Congress at the grassroots level in the coming days.
District Congress Committee president Ch. Narasimha Rao presided. Nellore Urban MLA M. Sridhar Krishna Reddy, senior leader Panabaka Krishnaiah, MLC Vakati Narayana Reddy and others spoke.
