With the process of formation of a Telangana state set in motion, state Congress leaders have said the aspirations of the people of Hyderabad should be taken into consideration before deciding the city’s fate.
While the TRS has made it clear that Hyderabad should be a part of separate Telangana state, there have been demands from other sections to make it a Union Territory like Chandigarh.
Law Minister M Veerappa Moily, who is also in charge of the party affairs in Andhra Pradesh, said the issue (of Hyderabad) will be discussed soon keeping in mind regional aspirations.
He said the Telangana separation issue has been quite alive since 1947 and even the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had said that they (Telangana people) deserve it.
“Our state MLAs had met the party high command (Sonia Gandhi) on the separation issue in 2001 itself,” he noted,
However, “We don’t work for credit. We work for the interest of the country and region,” he added.
Senior Congress leader Hanumantha Rao, while crediting the Congress for the creation of the state, felt that North Telangana would not oppose Hyderabad as it will be split in various parts once the new state is carved out.
State Minister D Nagendra said that before taking a decision on Hyderabad, the aspiration of its people must be taken into consideration.
“We knew that Telengana is going to happen, now we have to put the specific demand of people of Hyderabad before the high command,” he said, pointing that Hyderabad wants to retain its culture, establishments.
