Congress has to decide on Telangana: Chandrababu Naidu

Hyderabad, Jun 14: Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu has demanded an explanation from the Congress over the delay in taking a decision on the contentious Telangana statehood issue.

"It is for the Congress to take a decision on Telangana. It should explain to the people why it is delaying a decision on the issue and keeping the state in turmoil for long," Chandrababu said, inaugurating a two-day workshop of party MPs, MLAs, MLCs and senior leaders at the NTR Bhavan here today.

The Congress has no right or authority to criticise the TDP on the statehood issue. "We have made our stand very clear on the issue. At the recently-concluded Mahanadu (annual general body meeting) also we gave clarity on our stand. It is for the Centre to take a decision on the issue," the TDP chief asserted.

Reacting to YSR Congress president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy's repeated allegation that the TDP was in collusion with the ruling Congress to save the Kiran Kumar Reddy government in the state, the Leader of Opposition dared the former to parade before the Governor the MLAs supporting him.

The TDP president also mocked at film star-turned-politician Chiranjeevi saying: "He entered politics and launched Praja Rajyam Party with the promise of ushering in a social change and taking the state in a new direction. But now he has merged his party with the Congress only to change his own fortunes."

Taking a dig at the Bharatiya Janata Party, Chandrababu said it was unable to shed its communal agenda. "Congress is strong at the Centre only because of the BJP's failure," he pointed out.

The TDP chief asked his party rank and file to gear up for the upcoming elections to urban local bodies and panchayat raj institutions in the state.

The TDP would undertake a series of programmes from now on to revitalise its cadre and regain lost ground.

PTI