The Congress cadre and leaders were in a jubilant mood as the first meeting of their “Jaitrayatra” organised to thank AICC president Sonia Gandhi for granting statehood for Telangana here on Friday evening was a success.
The meeting, attended by nine Ministers, seven MPs and a galaxy of MLCs and MLAs, sought to instil confidence among all sections of people, youth and students in particular, that Telangana consisting of 10 districts with Hyderabad as its capital was a reality and there was no room for any misgivings or misunderstandings on it.
They said in unison that the long cherished dream of people of Telangana became possible only because of Ms. Gandhi as she could understand the problem in toto and also the supreme sacrifice of students for the cause. They appealed to people to strengthen the Congress by voting for it in the coming general elections. Panchayat Raj Minister K. Jana Reddy said Seemandhra people were waging a futile struggle as the decision on Telangana was final and irreversible.
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He appealed to people to strongly condemn insults and insinuations of Seemandhra people against Ms. Gandhi. In an oblique reference to Chief Minister N. Kirankumar Reddy, Deputy CM Damodar Rajanarsimha said a leader was supposed to be free from arrogance and obstinacy and treat all the regions on equal footing. The State was being bifurcated as the people of people were meted out injustice in all fields all these years, he said.
Coming down heavily on Mr. Kiran Reddy for his opposition to the bifurcation of the State, Rajya Sabha member V. Hanumantha Rao said that the former became ungrateful despite being made Chief Minister. Former APCC president D. Srinivas wondered as to how Mr. Kiran Reddy was opposing Sonia’s decision when he had adorned the top post with her blessings.