Telangana State Would Soon Be Reality: Congress Leaders

Hyderabad: Congress leaders from Telangana Sunday exuded confidence that the separate Telangana state would soon be a reality.

In their first-ever show of strength, Congress leaders held a public meeting here, amid the intensified efforts by the party's central leaders to find a solution to the contentious issue.

Thousands of people from various parts of the region attended the meeting at Nizam College Grounds, bringing traffic to halt in several busy areas in the heart of the city

The meeting urged the party leadership to take a decision on granting separate statehood to the region without any further delay. Senior leaders including those who met party president Sonia Gandhi a few days ago, claimed that the party would soon deliver the separate state.

Some political observers see the meeting as an attempt by the Congress party to claim credit for carving out Telangana state and deny Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) the political advantage of any such decision.

Enthused by massive turnout, the leaders declared that Congress alone can form the separate state. They coined the slogan of 'Jai Telangana Jai Congress', making it clear they would remain in the party to achieve their goal.

Deputy Chief Minister Damodar Rajanarasimha was the centre of attraction on the occasion. He said the 70-year-old movement was close to achieving the goal.

Terming it as a struggle for self-respect, he said the region had a long history of revolting against "suppression and exploitation".

He pointed out that out of 56 years of Andhra Pradesh, leaders from Seemandhra (Rayalaseema and Andhra) were chief ministers for 44 years while Telangana leaders held the post for only 12 years.