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To save party, Congress dumps Telangana

pioneer.com

Pioneer News Service | New Delhi

Angry KCR calls 48-hr bandh; Osmania students on rampage



The Centre on Wednesday succumbed to anti-Telangana protests outside and within the Congress and virtually dashed TRS chief K Chandrasekhara Rao’s dream of presiding over the destiny of a new State in foreseeable future.



In a carefully-worded statement, Home Minister P Chidambaram said the situation in Andhra Pradesh had “altered” and there was a need for wide-ranging consultations. Justifying the Government’s midnight statement on December 9, 2009, Chidambaram said the decision was made after all political parties had vouched their support for such a move. <img src='http://www.india-forum.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':lol:' />



He said, “At a meeting of all political parties convened by the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh on December 7, 2009 a consensus emerged on the question of formation of separate State of Telangana. A statement was made on behalf of the Central Government on December 9, 2009 on receipt of the minutes of the meeting. However, after the statement, the situation in Andhra Pradesh has altered.”



Using the changing political positions of parties to its benefit, the UPA Government said, “A large number of political parties are divided on the issue. There is a need to hold wide-ranging consultations with all political parties and groups in the State.”



Meanwhile, the Home Minister’s statement has shown the flame to a tinder box. Immediately after the Centre’s clarification, Telangana erupted. Leaders of different political parties in the region gave a call for 48-hour bandh in Telangana from Thursday morning but such was the shock and anger of the people that normal life came to a standstill immediately. The BJP, at one end, and the Maoists, on the other, have also given bandh calls.



As thousands of angry students and youth in Hyderabad, Warangal, Karimnagar and other places poured in to the streets venting their anger at all the visible symbols of the State Government — burning and damaging as many as 100 buses — politicians of all hues decided to put aside their party affiliations and flags to launch an unprecedented united struggle under a Joint Action Committee. At many places agitators clashed with the police.



KCR, who described Chidambaram's statement as “another betrayal” with people of Telangana was the first MP from Telangana to send his resignation letter to the Speaker followed by his party’s only other MP and film star Vijayshanti.



The police resorted to lathicharge in Agricultural University in Hyderabad. There were also clashes of students of Osmania University in Hyderabad and Kakatiya University in Warangal with the police. Leaders of Osmania University students Joint Action Committee were taken in to custody by the police.



However, there was much celebration amongst Congress MPs from coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions. The MPs, who met in New Delhi immediately after Chidambaram made the statement, said they have appealed to legislators in the State to withdraw their resignations following the statement.



“We welcome the decision. This will clear the misunderstandings among the people and politicians in the coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions about the statehood demand,” senior Rajya Sabha MP JD Seelam said.

UPA is gone nuts. What the hell these guys are doing? Why they let Babu-ban-gaya PM to release statement if they were not sure?

YSR son is doing pretty good job by rocking Mataji boat. <img src='http://www.india-forum.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />