Goud blames TDP, Cong on Telangana

Hyderabad, July 8 (UNI) Former Telugu Desam Party (TDP) Leader T Devender Goud today blamed both the Congress and the TDP for deceiving the people of Telangana Region on the separate statehood issue.

In a 'Meet-the-Press' programme organised by the Andhra Pradesh Union of Working Journalists here, Mr Goud, who resigned from the TDP due to differences with Party Supremo N Chandrababu Naidu on Telangana Statehood, said the issue would form the main agenda in the next elections in the state.

He predicted the TDP and the Congress would join hands to 'ditch the people of Telangana' as both TDP President N Chandrababu Naidu and State Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy were 'totally against the formation of separate Telangana.' Stating he would launch a separate political party in near future, he said his main agenda was separate Telangana and would strive to achieve it by taking up peoples' agitation in a democratic way.

He refuted TDP leaders' allegations he left the party after enjoying various positions for his political survival.

Mr Goud said the decision to leave the party was due to its leadership not tolerating anyone talking about separate Telangana.

On his proposed party, he said the party would be launched with peoples' participation, function in democratic way and take decisions after consulting various sections of the people in the party.

He said several issues, including naxalism, was due to successive governments' failure to 'implement Constitutional rights in a proper way.' UNI BR VA GM RL RN1634