Terming the suspension of Congress MPs from Parliament for disrupting the House over statehood issue as “insult to Telangana”, TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao on Friday asked the legislators to quit the party and join the “separate statehood movement”.
“We have seen how Congress threw out the MPs. It has insulted Telangana. Those thrown out were not just seven or eight MPs. It was the self-respect of four crore Telangana people that was thrown out of Parliament,” he said at the party’s 11th foundation day meeting here.
“Your party had almost given Telangana but took it back. You say you will get Telangana. If you are sincere, why should you continue there after this insult? Your insult has hurt us too. I appeal you to quit (Congress) and join the movement,” Mr. Rao said.
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The Lok Sabha on Tuesday suspended eight Congress MPs for disrupting the House over the Telangana statehood issue. All the eight MPs belonged to the Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh.
Congress had allied with TRS in 2004 by promising to accept separate Telangana demand but “betrayed Telangana people”, Mr. Rao alleged.
Claiming that some sections of media spread disinformation campaign about TRS, he asserted TRS will not merge with any party and retain its identity even after a separate state is formed.
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In an indirect attack on BJP which campaigned that separate state is possible only with a national party, he wondered whether any national party existed at all in the country.
The so-called national parties came to power only if a coalition of regional parties helped them, he maintained.
TRS would emerge as a major force in national politics in the coming days and “bend the Centre towards reconstruction of Telangana”, he claimed.
TRS and BJP have been members of the Telangana political Joint Action Committee but the ties between the two parties soured when they crossed swords in the recent bypoll to Mahabubnagar assembly seat. BJP won the seat, which was seen as a setback to TRS.
Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao also said the agitation for statehood would be stepped up after the bypoll to Parkal assembly seat (in Telangana) scheduled to be held on June 12. Parkal will be among 18 assembly constituencies where bypolls will be held.