TDP not against Telangana, ball in Government`s court: Naidu

Hyderabad: Maintaining that his party was not against Telangana, Telugu Desam president N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday asserted that it was for the Government of India to take a call on the separate statehood issue. "Time and again I have clarified that TDP is not against Telangana and it is for the Centre to take a decision on the creation of a separate state. I have requested the Centre to convene an all-party meeting to resolve the issue. Let it convene the meeting....We will clearly spell out our stand," Chandrababu said.

Addressing a mammoth gathering at Rajoli in Mahbubnagar district in Telangana region this evening, the Leader of Opposition in Assembly asked why the statehood protagonists were seeking to exert pressure on him, when he was not in the power. "It is for the state and the Central governments to take the decision....The Congress is only conspiring to weaken TDP," he alleged. Coming down on Telangana Rashtra Samiti, Chandrababu pointed out that its chief K Chandrasekhar Rao had been openly announcing that he would merge his outfit with Congress. "The one who said he will strive for creation of a `social Telangana` has now disappeared," he said, taking a dig at (erstwhile) Praja Rajyam Party president K Chiranjeevi who amalgamated his party with Congress. It was only under the TDP rule that Telangana witnessed "unprecedented" development, the former Chief Minister claimed. "I am ready for a debate on this," he said. The TDP chief entered Telangana region today as part of his ongoing `Vastunna Meekosam` foot march. The Telangana supporters had threatened to block his yatra till he made his stand on the statehood demand clear. But police took the pro-Telangana activists into preventive custody to ensure that Leader of Opposition`s foot march was not disrupted. The yatra will continue for the next 12 days through Mahbubnagar district. Meanwhile, taking objection to Naidu`s statement that TRS chief was openly saying that the party would merge with Congress, party MLA, K T Rama Rao, said his party would not merge with any party. "TRS would not merge with any other party. Chandrababu would soon realise that TDP would become a part of history," Rama Rao said in a release this evening. "Naidu should state that a bill for formation of Telangana should be moved in the Parliament, instead of (merely) saying that his party is not against Telangana," Rao said. PTI