Media 'distorted' remarks on Telangana: AP CM

Hyderabad, Jan 22 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy today said the newspaper, which interviewed him, had 'distorted' his statments on the Telangana issue.

Giving a clarification in an official release here, Dr Reddy said ''I did not say (during an exclusive interview with a newspaper) that a separate Telangana would not be formed before the 2009 election, as published in the newspaper.'' He said ''I told the correspondents that the Congress cannot take a decision on Telangana during this term. The party will decide, favouring statehood for Telangana, if it secured absolute majority in the next general election.'' ''The Centre can not decide on the issue immediately as it is a coalition government. It will have to evolve a consensus among the coalition partners of the UPA, first,'' he added.

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