Continuing his flip-flop on various issues, the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee president, Botcha Satyanarayana, on Wednesday reportedly gave certain options on Telangana leaving the District Congress Committee presidents who met him confused.
The DCC presidents of some of the districts in Telangana had met him at Gandhi Bhavan to submit a representation urging him to see that the party speaks in one voice in favour of Telangana at the all-party meeting at New Delhi on December 28.
During their interaction, Mr. Satyanarayana is believed to have explained several options before the party and revealed his choice.
According to a DCC president, what left them flustered was his comment that he personally favoured a united State though there was nothing wrong in having two or more States for Telugus when there could be so many of them for Hindi-speaking people.
Ambivalent stand
In the same breath, he is stated to have told the party leaders from the districts that he recognised the fact there was a Telangana sentiment but as a person who was loyal to the party, he would abide by the decision taken by the party high command.
His views swinging from one extreme to the other left the leaders wondering whether he spoke in favour of Telangana or against it. They were surprised as Mr. Satyanarayana is known to personally favour division of the State as he has his own strong political reasons.
As Telugu TV channels ran the scroll highlighting his ‘contradictory’ comments, he disowned them and condemned the reports as distorted.
This he did much like his recent comment that freedom at midnight did not mean that women could roam the streets till the late hours. As it kicked up a controversy, he retracted his statement.
Earlier, Nalamothu Chakaravarthy and Parakala Prabahakar, president and general secretary of Vishalandhra Mahasabha and others met Mr. Satyanarayana and impressed upon him the need for Congress delegates to speak for united Andhra Pradesh at the all party meeting at Delhi.
They made a similar appeal to the Telugu Desam and handed over a representation to the leader of the Opposition in Legislative Council, Dadi Veerabhadra Rao. They would meet YSRC and BJP leaders on Thursday.
