The Hindu : Front Page : TRS MLAs, MLCs resign

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Wednesday, Mar 05, 2008
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TRS MLAs, MLCs resign

Harish Rao launches ‘attack’ on CM

TRS MLA accuses Chief Minister of being a “regional chauvinist”
TRS members shake hands with others in Council before walking out

HYDERABAD: Carrying forward the process of exerting pressure on the Centre to carve out a separate Telangana, 16 MLAs and three MLCs of the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) submitted their resignations from the legislature after accusing the ruling Congress of ‘deceiving’ the people of the region.

In the Legislative Assembly as well as in the Council, TRS members tabled notices for adjournment of all business to facilitate adoption of a resolution recommending bifurcation of the State. As the presiding officers of both the Houses rejected their plea, the members handed over their resignations.

In the Assembly, slogan-shouting TRS members mobbed the podium of Speaker K. R. Suresh Reddy displaying their resignation letters and banners forcing adjournment of the House.

Later, the Speaker allowed their floor leader K. Vijayarama Rao and three others to explain the reasons for their resignations about 15 months before completion of their five-year-long term.

The day’s developments placed the ruling Congress on the defensive and as many as three Ministers responded to the TRS’ allegations. Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy later appealed to the Speaker to request the TRS members not to resign. Asserting that the Congress high command was seriously addressing itself to the Telangana issue by trying to hammer out a consensus, he urged the members not to give an impression that they acted in haste.

TRS legislators earlier garlanded the statute of ‘Telangana Talli” in their party office and paid homage to the Telangana Martyrs’ Memorial opposite the Assembly before trooping into the two Houses raising “Jai Telangana” slogans and denouncing the Congress.

It was an emotional affair in the Council when the three TRS members resigned. TRS floor leader K. Dileep Kumar led his party colleagues and submitted the resignation letter to the Chairman, who in turn directed them to hand them over to the Additional Secretary.

The TRS members walked across to the Treasury and Opposition benches and shook hands with other members.

“Death warrants”

Terming their resignations as “death warrants” for Congress, Mr. Harish Rao launched a frontal attack on the Chief Minister in the Assembly accusing him of being a “regional chauvinist” who was focussing on developing his native Kadapa district by setting up an airport, a JNTU engineering college, a golf course and a new railway line. In Pulivendla constituency alone, a sum of Rs. 200 crore was being spent for roads.

In contrast, Telangana was being starved of funds even though the revenue earned by departments like stamps and registration and excise was higher compared to other regions. Lands worth Rs.20,000 crore were sold in Ranga Reddy district while the Chevella-Pranahita project was allocated only Rs. 200 crore when it needed Rs.20,000 crore.

He dared Ministers from Telangana to question the Chief Minister on this imbalance.

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