The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : TRS Ministers not to quit

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Apr 28, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

TRS Ministers not to quit

Staff Reporter

Statehood issue safe in Sonia's hands: KCR

Rallying for statehood: The Union Minister for Labour, K. Chandrasekhara Rao, the TRS ideologue, K. Jayashankar, and the Union Minister of State for Rural Development, A. Narendra, at the fourth anniversary of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi in Hyderab ad on Wednesday. Photo: Satish H.

HYDERABAD: None of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) Ministers will resign from the State Cabinet.

"I am saying this with guarantee. Such a fate has not befallen on them," the TRS president and Union Labour Minister, K. Chandrasekhar Rao, told a meeting of workers organised to mark the fourth anniversary celebrations of the party here on Wednesday.

Mr. Rao was responding to speculation in a section of the media about the Ministers deciding to put in their papers by this day on account of the UPA Government dragging its feet on the issue of statehood for Telangana.

He fired his salvos at this section of the media for putting out distorted reports with the backing of the "Andhra lobby."

He said the posts held by TRS men and the Telangana movement could not be linked. They would still struggle for Telangana being in power. There was no constitutional bar on them to wage struggles while holding posts of power.

Charge against media

He quoted another news report describing his recent meeting with the CPI (M) general secretary, Prakash Karat, in Delhi as a setback to him "personally'' in support of his claim that the media was ranged against him.

The media refused to identify him with a mass movement while looking at him as an individual.

Mr. Rao felt there was no need for a running commentary on what was happening to Telangana from Delhi.

The issue of Telangana was safe in the hands of the UPA chairperson, Sonia Gandhi.

There could be no deadlines for the political decision to be delivered from Delhi. All parties were supporting the TRS.

The Left parties would put up a token opposition which would not matter when the bill on Telangana was introduced in Parliament.

Ms. Gandhi had told him that she was interested in consensus among all parties so that there were no obstacles when the exercise of dividing the State started.

`Ready to part ways'

Referring to frequent digs taken at the separate Telangana slogan of the TRS by some Congress leaders, he said the party was prepared for separation by nursing hatred if it was desired.

He expressed the unhappiness of the TRS with the way the State Government held talks with naxalite leaders.

They should resume in the environment they began initially but the Home Minister should not be a part of it as the law and order agenda was not big.

The Union Minister of State for Rural Development, A. Narendra, also addressed the gathering.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Andhra Pradesh

News Update

Stories in this Section