Rajnath extends full support for Telangana state

Bharatiya Janata Party President Rajnath Singh on Saturday said that his party would fully support the formation of separate Telangana state but made it clear that the United Progressive Alliance government has to take initiative in this regard. He also hinted that his party at national level would adopt a resolution supporting separate Telangana state.

Rajnath Singh, who made his first visit to Hyderabad after becoming BJP national president, met a group of intellectuals from Telangana region after having a brief with the state office-bearers of the party. Later speaking to the media, he pointed out that his party, right from the Jansangh days, has supported the concept of smaller states.

He himself broached the subject of separate statehood for Telangana and stated that "the State BJP unit had passed resolutions in unequivocal terms supporting the formation of separate Telangana state at its conferences and the central BJP leadership is fully positive on the issue." He, however, blamed the Congress Party and the UPA government for not fulfilling their promise in this regard.

"The BJP's next course of action on Telangana issue will be finalised in the national executive meeting to be held in May," he added.

Replying to questions, the BJP president observed, "There is no need for second States Reorganisation Commission as being demanded by some state Congress leaders if the UPA government takes initiative and introduces a bill in the Parliament. The Congress-led UPA government came to power almost two years back but what prevented it to introduce the bill in the Parliament."

He accused the Congress and Telangana Rashtra Samithi of betraying the people of Telangana.

Asked about the reasons for his party not responding to UPA sub-committee under Pranab Mukherjee's chairmanship on Telangana issue, he shot back, "What letter is required when the party's national president says that his party is for separate Telangana state."

To pointed questions why the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government did not take any initiative on Telangana state during its rule, he recalled that Telugu Desam Party, which was extending support to the NDA, was advocating for integrated state of Andhra Pradesh.

Moreover, the NDA government had to follow the common minimum programme, which did not mention the formation of separate Telangana state. "Now what is the problem for UPA government in taking initiative when its CMP categorically mentions Telangana issue," he asked.

Asked whether he had asked the state unit of the party to maintain friendly relations with TRS, he said, "Ours is a national party," hinting that it was for a sub-regional party like TRS to decide about its ties with BJP.

A group of intellectuals from Telangana region earlier met the BJP President and strongly argued for separate statehood for this backward region saying that creation of separate statehood would only solve the problems of the region and make it flourish. The 20-member intellectual group includes Prof V Madhusudhan Reddy, Prof Sridhara Swamy, Prof Kodandaram, Prof G Laxman, Pasham Yadagiri and T Gopal Rao.

Rajnath Singh promised to adopt a resolution in support of Telangana at national level when another group led by former minister Mechineni Kishan Rao met him seeking his party's support to separate statehood.