The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Goud avoids criticising TDP chief

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Wednesday, Jun 25, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Goud avoids criticising TDP chief

Special Correspondent

“My party will focus on ‘second freedom struggle’ for Telangana”

Goud rules out truck with TRS
Decision on tie-up with Chiru’s party on June 28

HYDERABAD: Former Telugu Desam polit bureau member T. Devender Goud on Tuesday declared that the political party he planned would focus on launching a ‘second freedom struggle’ to achieve separate Telangana and not so much on electoral politics.

“We want to take the Telangana movement to a different historic plane, capturing the spirit of the Telangana armed struggle in which the poor and the deprived had a major role to play. We want to groom self-less leaders who will take care of Telangana once it is formed,” he declared, addressing the first press conference after quitting Telugu Desam. E. Peddi Reddy, who too resigned from the party, sat beside him.

Mr. Goud made it clear that his proposed outfit would have nothing to do with Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS). He dismissed the Telangana ideologue Jayashankar’s suggestion that all parties fighting for the cause of separate statehood should come and work together, as his “personal view”. Prof. Jayashankar had made the suggestion after calling on Mr. Goud earlier in the day.

But Mr. Goud was not so dismissive on forging alliance with filmstar Chiranjeevi’s party if it took a pro-Telangana line, saying a decision would be taken at a meeting slated on June 28. He clarified that this first meeting would be confined to intellectuals and those who had been in the thick of the Telangana struggle for the last five decades and not for politicians.

Taking adequate care not to target Telugu Desam president N. Chandrababu Naidu, he said he felt sad that he had to “present an application” to the party for launching any struggle on issues concerning Telangana. He lamented that major political parties have failed to understand the history of the demand for Telangana, the identity crisis faced by the people of the region and the feeling that they were outsiders in their own land. “They weighed people in terms of votes, castes and communities. They also conveniently forget that two States were merged to form Andhra Pradesh and Fazal Ali Commission on States Reorganisation, wanted a review of the arrangement after five years of the State’s formation.”

Adopting a conciliatory line, he said it was time for creation of two States in tune with the aspirations of the people and “part as brothers”. It would have ample scope for development of the two Telugu States. Coming down heavily on Congress, he said the party had deceived people time and again and used them as pawns to capture power. “The worst phase for the region is under the chief ministership of Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, who is exploiting all its resources turning the region into a desert.”

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