The Hindu : Front Page : Keshava Rao backtracks on statements on TRS chief

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Sep 14, 2006
ePaper

Front Page

Front Page

Keshava Rao backtracks on statements on TRS chief

Andhra Pradesh Bureau

Congress high command asks party leaders to exercise restraint

HYDERABAD: APCC president K. Keshava Rao announced on Wednesday that he was retracting all the provocative statements that had resulted in Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) president K. Chandrasekhar Rao putting in his papers as MP, and urged him to withdraw his resignation.

The TRS leader was, however, unrelenting on his decision. Rejecting the Congress' plea, he said there was no question of withdrawing his resignation unless, of course, the Congress high command gave a time-bound commitment on Telangana.

Dr. Keshava Rao's volte face from his fiery statements during the past few days was the result of the Congress high command's advice to party leaders to exercise restraint in a bid to defuse the tension. AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh telephoned Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy as well as the PCC chief whose remarks, the TRS leader said, had triggered his decision to resign. The Chief Minister washed off his hands from the whole controversy by saying that the resignations of Ministers M. Satyanarayana Rao and Mohd. Ali Shabbir following the wordy duel with TRS leaders were `not relevant'. These developments left the PCC chief high and dry and forced him to withdraw his words, particularly his offer to use his office in holding early poll in Karimnagar in the event of a byelection.

Dr. Reddy said at a press conference that the TRS was a United Progressive Alliance (UPA) partner, thereby pouring cold water on Mr. Satyanarayana Rao's plans to fight a "personal" battle against Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao. "How can anything be personal in such matters. It is the Congress high command that decides the party candidates". Dismissing the entire controversy lightly, he said the Congress always recognised the existence of `Telangana sentiment' and exchange of such statements was only to be expected. He said the entire issue of Telangana had been left to Ms. Sonia Gandhi and it was better for Congressmen not to indulge in a war of words.

`Unintentional statement'

A little while later, Dr. Keshav Rao said his statements were "unintentional" and he did not mean them seriously. "My intention was not to hurt anybody. We can not afford mutual bickerings and rancour," he said.

Mr. Satyanarayana Rao maintained a low profile on Wednesday saying that it was up to the party to accept his resignation. In the TRS camp, TRS leader A. Narendra reportedly tried to put in his papers as MP but was dissuaded against it by Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao.

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

Front Page

News Update

Stories in this Section