Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president N. Chandrababu Naidu said that he considered his party in Telangana and Andhra-Rayalaseema regions as his two eyes and he would protect its interests in both the regions.
Treading with caution on the separate Telangana issue at an interaction with party ranks and the media during a visit to West Godavari district on Wednesday, he said: “After all, the party was founded by our leader N.T. Rama Rao two and a half decades ago to defend the self-respect of Telugu-speaking people in the State.” Mr. Naidu did not brook any debate on the Telangana issue when a section of TDP leaders sought to espouse the cause of a unified State. “It is a fact that the Congress and the TDP are divided in the Telangana and the Andhra-Rayalaseema regions, defending the interests of their respective regions. I cannot afford to take sides,” he said.
“As the ruling party, the Congress is in a bind over finding an amicable solution and I hope the problem will be settled in such a manner.”
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Declining to comment on the constitution of the five-member committee constituted by the Centre on the situation in Andhra Pradesh, he said he could not speak ‘without full details on hand.’
Mr. Naidu visited two villages in Narsapur mandal to console the families of those killed in the boat capsize in the Vasishta river recently.
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Staff Reporter from Rajahmundry adds:
Mr. Naidu, who consoled the families of those who died in the illicit liquor tragedy at Gangalakurthi near Amalapuram, alleged the involvement of two Ministers and an MLA in selling hooch.
Speaking to mediapersons, the TDP president said a ‘syndicate’ of Ministers was running illicit liquor business which was sold by gangs in the entire Konaseema area due to which gullible people had died.