Hyderabad: Opposition parties in Andhra
Pradesh on Monday hit out at the Congress for dilly-dallying on
the contentious Telangana issue and betraying people of the
region on the statehood issue.
All of them demanded that the Central government take a
decision on the Telangana issue without any further delay and
restore normalcy in the state.
Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, considered an ally of the
ruling party, was most strident in its criticism of the
Congress and alleged that the Centre`s indifference on the
statehood issue was causing "irreparable damage" to the
state`s economy.
"Both the government and the private sectors suffered a
loss of Rs 30,000 crore in the last two years because of the
agitation for a separate state. Why is the Centre still
procrastinating," MIM floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi
questioned, during the course of the debate on the no-
confidence motion against the Kiran Kumar Reddy government.
Andhra Pradesh is losing heavily as industries are
shifting base to Tamil Nadu and other states, he said.
"The Telangana Rashtra Samiti has been fighting for a
separate state for many years now. I don`t know how long it
will have to fight," Akbaruddin wondered.
"For heaven`s sake or god`s sake, it is high time the
Government of India took a decision on the Telangana issue.
The UPA government should bring the issue to a close,"
Akbaruddin demanded, even as he maintained that his party was
totally in favour of a unified state of Andhra Pradesh.
Leader of Opposition and TDP president N Chandrababu
Naidu said it was the Central government`s responsibility to
find a solution to the vexatious statehood issue.
"The Congress is solely responsible for the instability
and uncertainty in the state. Hence, it is its responsibility
to set things in order," Naidu said, adding that his party had
already made its stand very clear on the issue.
TRS floor leader Etela Rajender lashed out at the
Congress over its "double-speak" on the Telangana issue.
"It is talking in one voice when it is in power and in a
different tone when in opposition. The Congress promised to
resolve the statehood issue through the Pranab Mukherjee
Committee but it failed to do anything in the last seven
years. People of Telangana will punish the Congress
appropriately in the 2014 elections," he added.
Rajender was also critical of the TDP for failing to keep
its word on the statehood demand.
The Communist Party of India leader G Mallesh also blamed
the Congress for the current imbroglio in the state over the
Telangana issue.
PTI
