The Hindu : Sonia vacillating on Telangana, naxal issues: Naidu

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Mar 13, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Sonia vacillating on Telangana, naxal issues: Naidu

By Our Special Correspondent

TIRUPATI, MARCH 12. The Chief Minister, N.Chandrababu Naidu, today accused the AICC president, Sonia Gandhi, of talking incoherently on the separate Telangana and alleged naxal-Congress nexus, the two major issues which are before the electorate for the upcoming elections.

Mr. Naidu's remarks against Sonia's anti-TDP rhetorics during her three-day road-show in the State came at a press conference which he addressed at the helipad shortly after his arrival here in the noon to launch the TDP's poll campaign for the ensuing general election

He was particularly critical of Ms. Sonia Gandhi's studied silence over the two contentious issues-- separate Telangana and the PWG's call to its cadres to kill TDP and BJP leaders. He recalled how Indira Gandhi was steadfast on her commitment for a united and integrated Andhra Pradesh and regretted that rather ironically Ms. Sonia Gandhi and her present Congress coterie should take a diametrically opposite stand on the issue by striking an electoral alliance with the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) which was waging a war for separate statehood for Telangana.

He also pointed out as how Indira Gandhi kept the late Marri Channa Reddy out of the party when he floated a pro-Telangana outfit and spearheaded the movement. Mr. Naidu also decried that though Congress leaders like Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi fell to terrorist violence, rather inexplicably Ms. Sonia Gandhi during her three-day campaign in the State chose not to speak even a word against the reign of terror let loose by naxalites by holding out an open threat to the lives of TDP and BJP leaders. He also alleged that naxalites had colluded with the Congress and the TRS and were asking voters to vote in favour of the Congress.He asked whether it was not a proof of a Congress-naxal nexus. Despite all this, Ms. Sonia Gandhi had not uttered even a word against naxalites, he said. It only showed the dichotomy in her stand on the two issues and how she was vacillating on them without spelling out clearly the party's stand towards them. He, however ,said that people were not novices these days not to see through all the games politicians played and would teach them a fitting lesson at the hustings.

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