The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : MSR stands by his remarks on CM

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Nov 14, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

MSR stands by his remarks on CM

Special Correspondent

Claims to have ascertained views of Congress high command before making the remarks

-PHOTO : P.V.SIVAKUMAR

In limelight: Congress party leader M. Satyanarayana Rao at the Assembly in Hyderabad on Tuesday.

HYDERABAD: Sticking to his guns, senior Congress leader and former Minister M. Satyanarayana Rao has claimed that he had ascertained the views of the Congress high command before making the remark on Monday that Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy was inimical towards creation of separate Telangana.

“I held national-level positions in the party 27 years ago and several leaders in the party high command are my sishyas (disciples). How can I speak without knowing what Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said?” he asked.

Not interested

Reacting to queries of reporters in the Assembly lobbies on Tuesday, he made it clear that he was not interested in “gossiping” and that he had only explained the mood of the people.

People were in favour of separate State and this was evident from the results of the Karimnagar byelection where Telangana Rashtra Samiti president K. Chandrasekhar Rao won with a landslide majority.

“Several teams of senior Congress leaders were deputed to Karimnagar. But, what was the end result? Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao won by over two lakh votes,” he pointed out adding the Congress leaders should understand the sentiment and act accordingly.

Meanwhile, the senior Congress leader’s comments that statehood to Telangana would be possible only if Dr. Reddy changed his attitude caused ripples in the Congress circles and evoked sharp reactions.

Roads and Buildings Minister, T. Jeevan Reddy found fault with Mr. Satyanaryana Rao for linking Chief Minister’s post to the issue.

“The Chief Minister is there as mandated by the All India Congress Committee and he has nothing to do with any regional issue”.

Sentiments

Though he agreed that statehood for Telangana sentiment was strong across the region as people feel they could decide their own destiny and that a smaller State could be administered better, this would not deter the congress party.

He asserted that the Congress would come out as a winner in 2009 Assembly elections as it has initiated a number of development schemes in the region like never before.

Disagree

Congress MLA, Komatireddy Venkat Reddy too disagreed with Mr. Rao’s comments and said none of the party legislators from Telangana subscribed to his views.

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