DEFENDING STAND: Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy explaining a point to TRS leader A. Narendra during a press conference in Hyderabad on Wednesday.

HYDERABAD: Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, along with nine of his Cabinet colleagues hailing from Telangana, has decried the campaign of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) leadership that Congress has cheated it on the Telangana issue.

Referring to the allegation levelled by TRS president K. Chandrasekhara Rao after his resignation from the Union Cabinet, Dr. Reddy has said his party has always recognised the existence of Telangana sentiment and respected it. As the decision is left to AICC president Sonia Gandhi, the State Congress leaders will not comment on it.

Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, he said the TRS had forged alliance with the ruling party only after it was fully satisfied with the commitment given by the AICC on March 4, 2004, to seek a second States Reorganisation Commission (SRC).

`Promises fulfilled'

Releasing copies of their agreement on this score, he said the Congress had not ditched the TRS. "We have fulfilled all promises and abided by our commitments. Ms. Gandhi is looking into the issue. She is watching the situation. Reorganisation of a State involves a large number of issues. As for myself, I am neither against Telangana nor in its favour."

Along with former PCC presidents -- D. Srinivas and M. Satyanarayana Rao -- both of whom are his Cabinet colleagues now, Dr. Reddy said that his party MLAs had taken up the issue in 1999 itself when Ms. Gandhi visited the State. "In view of the neglect of Telangana region by the then Telugu Desam Government, they had asked her to consider their demand."

Later, the Congress Working Committee passed a resolution favouring a second SRC and sent it to the then NDA Government which promptly turned down the plea. "Our election manifesto too included the demand for second SRC. After the elections when the TRS sought its demand to be included in the Common Minimum Programme, the UPA partners agreed to seek consensus which was still eluding."

On Sonia's stand

On whether Ms. Gandhi was deliberately keeping mum on the issue, he said she would do the right thing at the right time. She may need some more time to come out with her opinion."

Ministers -- K. Jana Reddy, J. Geeta Reddy, Redya Naik, Sabitha Indra Reddy, Mohd. Ali Shabbir, P. Lakshmaiah and Government Whip D. Sridhar Babu were present.

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