'CWC member changing stand on Telangana': Minister

Hyderabad, Jan 23 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Roads and Buildings Minister T Jeevan Reddy today alleged that senior leader and Congress Working Committee (CWC) member G Venkataswami had been shifting his stand on a seperate Telangana state since he started his political career.

Addressing a press conference here, he said ''Mr Venkataswami had raised the separate Telangana issue in 1969, but watered it down after the election. But he is now making statements on the issue.'' Stating that he was not aware why Mr Venkatswami was raising the Telangana issue and accusing Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy of obstructing the formation of Telangana, he said being a senior most Congress leader in the state, he should not have made such statements against Dr Reddy.

The CWC member had praised the Chief Minister for taking up development programmes in Telangana and had said it was impossible to take up such programmes after the formation of a separate state, the Minister pointed out, clarifying that the Chief Minister was not against Telangana.

Alleging that Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) President and former union minister K Chandrasekhara Rao never raised the Telangana issue when he played a key role in the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), he said Dr Y S Rajasekhara Reddy was the first Chief Minister who took steps to implement GO 610, by providing job opportunities to Telangana people and transferred the non-locals from the region.

UNI AP VA AM BD1850