Congress will pay heavily for Telangana betrayal: KCR

New Delhi, Mar 3 (UNI) Putting the blame directly on the Congress and its President Sonia Gandhi for denying Telangana statehood, the four TRS MPs who quit their Lok Sabha membership today said the party would pay heavily for their act of betrayal and breach of trust.

Addressing a press conference at his residence, TRS Chief K Chandrashekhara Rao described the Congress party as ''Villan no. 1 for denying due share of development and progress to Telangana region for the last five decades.'' The demand for Telangana was very old and infact the region resisted joining Andhra Pradesh. The treatment meted out to the area had only confirmed their fear that existed at the time of the state's formation in 1956, he said.

Tomorrow 19 TRS MLAs will resign quitting their membership in Andhra Pradesh Assembly.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi went to the extent of donning 'Rose dupatta', the colour of TRS during her campaign in the last Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in Andhra Pradesh. The party came to power in the state and at the Centre.

He said, the UPA promised Telangana statehood in the Common Minimum Programme and formed Group of Ministers under Pranab Kumar Mukherjee. However, when it came to implementing the promises, it went on postponing on one pretext or the other. Now even God can't save Congress from a big fall. They will lose both at the Centre and in Andhra Pradesh for their act of 'ingratitude and betrayal'.

He further said the Congress elicited views of all political parties in the country about the formation of Telangana without revealing its own views till now. It also used the GOM to delay a decision to retain the TRS in the UPA fold, he allged.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajashekhar Reddy's claim of providing development had fallen flat at the scrutiny of Comptroller and Auditor General.

''Now he and his party will bite dust,'' said Mr Rao who had resigned his Lok Sabha membership from Karimnagar as well from the Union Cabinet. He had entered the Lok Sabha in the subsequent byelection on TRS ticket.

He, however was circumspect on the TRS aligning with the BJP which had publicly expressed its support for creation of Telangana.

''We are thankful for the BJP. We are willing to seek support from any quarters ranging from extremist radical students union to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh to achieve out goal -- Telangana.'' As regards BJP's strength in Telangana, Mr Rao said a former Union Minister had contested in Karimnagar byelection and lost securing a mere 19,000 votes. ''This is their strength,'' he remarked.

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