Opposition parties in Andhra Pradesh cry betrayal over Telangana issue

HYDERABAD: Opposition parties in Andhra Pradesh today accused the Centre of "betrayal" on the Telangana issue and threatened to intensify their agitation for a separate state.

Some Congress leaders were also critical of the statements in Delhi by Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde and AICC general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad that the "consultation process" (on the Telangana demand) would continue and a final decision on it may take a little more time.

Effectively, the Union Home Minister's "deadline" for announcing the Centre's decision on the statehood issue ends tomorrow, but his statement, coupled with that of Azad, came hours ahead and left many "disappointed".

"This is nothing but putting off the Telangana issue permanently," Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) MLA T Harish Rao fumed.

The Congress has betrayed people of the region yet again, he said adding that they would now carry the statehood struggle forward by primarily targeting the Congress ministers and other leaders from the region.

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) senior leader Motkupalli Narasimhulu noted that Azad and Shinde's statements only made it clear that the Congress would not grant statehood to Telangana. "People will not accept their statements. There is no need for further talks on the issue," he said.

BJP state president G Kishan Reddy called upon people to "see the end" of Congress, while CPI state secretary K Narayana termed the Congress duo's statements as "suicidal".

"Their claims amount to insulting all the political parties in the state and the entire political system as well. Looks like the Congress will not sleep till Andhra Pradesh is fully burnt," Narayana lashed out.

The flip-flops would spell doom for the Congress in all regions of the state, he warned.

Congress MP Gutta Sukhender Reddy dubbed Azad and Shinde's statements as "meaningless" and asserted that the delay in taking a decision on the statehood issue would do no good for the party.