Congress not going to deliver Telangana: Fernandes

Hyderabad, Aug 26 (UNI) Claiming that there was no chance of Telangana attaining statehood under the Congress-led UPA Government, NDA Convenor George Fernandes today said it could be realised only through a protracted struggle.

Accusing the UPA Government of playing a ''practical joke'' on the people of the region by delaying a decision, he told Mediaperons here that only through sustained struggle the long cherished dream of the Telangana people would come to fruition.

He extended support to parties taking up the cause of smaller states.

Though a majority of parties in Parliament were supportive of the Telangana cause, the Congress was putting hurdles for its own reasons, charged Mr Fernades, who had been an ardent supporter of the movement in 1969.

Asked about the Congress' stand that it was in favour of constituting a Second States' Reorganisation Commission to look into the demand for smaller states, including Vidarbha and Telangana, the former defence minister alleged that it was only a ploy of the party to avoid a decision after the UPA sub-committee on Telangana, chaired by Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee, failed to resolve the issue.

It may be recalled that the BJP-led NDA had put the Telangana issue on the back burner as the TDP, whose support was crucial to the then Government, was for a unified Andhra Pradesh and dead against statehood for Telangana.

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