BJP vows to support Telangana Bill in Parliament

Karimnagar, June 1: Affirming the BJP's support to the Telangana cause, senior party leader Sushma Swaraj said the NDA would extend support if the Centre tabled a Bill for formation of separate Telangana state in the next session of Parliament.

"I have confidence that the bill on Telangana will be introduced in Parliament in July and by that time, I will take the support of all the allied parties of NDA. In case, the Congress fails to introduce the Bill in July 2011, the BJP assures to give Telangana in 2014 after coming into power," she said addressing a pro-Telangana public meeting organised by the BJP here.

Formation of Telangana would be among the top priorities of the NDA in the event of the BJP-led coalition coming to power at the Centre after 2014, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said.

"I cannot bring back the children, who died for Telangana. But, I shall try to make their dream come true." Swaraj said Union Minister Pranab Mukherji had declared that Telangana would be given after the elections to five states and that too by June 1.

"I told our party to arrange the public meeting on Telangana in Karimnagar, a day before, to see the commitment of the Congress party. Let us see, whether any announcement comes on Wednesday, June 1," she said.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi had promised Telangana at a public meeting she addressed in Karimnagar earlier but has not fulfilled that promise so far, the former Union Minister alleged.

PTI