Congress not against formation of Telangana: CM

Hyderabad, Apr 24 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy today said the Congress was not against the creation of separate Telangana.

Addressing the National Students Union of India (NSUI) activists at an orientation programme in Gandhi Bhavan here, he said the Congress had never said that there was no Telangana sentiment.

The Congress was committed to the issue, he said and added the party would take a decision in this regard at an appropriate time.

He claimed that the Congress had raised the Telangana issue when it was in the Opposition as the TDP had totally neglected the region during its nine-year regime.

During the 2004 elections, the Congress and the Telangana Rastra Samithi (TRS) had agreed to constitute second States' Reorganisation Commission (SRC) and also to arrive at a consensus for speeding up the matter.

''It is a major issue and it will take time. The Congress is consulting all the alliance partners in the UPA to decide on the matter,'' Dr Reddy said.

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