What everybody missed in the whole gamut of multiple episodes on the Telangana issue at multiple locations on Sunday is that the Congress affairs in-charge of the State Ghulam Nabi Azad very surreptitiously brought in the Rayalaseema angle into the issue.
Sushil Kumar Shinde, who convened an all-party meeting on the querulous issue on December 28, 2012, announced that a decision would be announced in a month. And, the deadline ends on Monday on January 28.
The all-party meeting was an idea hoisted by the Telugu Desam Party (TDP). In fact, the TDP demonstrated its dexterity in handling the political expediency of ensuring a smooth passage of the ‘Vasthunna Mee Kosam’ padayatra of its supremo N Chandrababu Naidu. Also, the main opposition scored a brownie point among people of the State on this count.
That said, the Congress has always been playing peek-a-boo with people and also leaders of Telangana and Seemaandhra.
Though the Congress high command took the expectations on a final decision – either way – to their crescendo for a third time, it did not act differently. Procrastination is its wont and it remained committed to uncertainty.
Ghulam Nabi Azad, who raised the adrenaline levels among people on the prospect of the announcement of a final decision, finally pronounced the posturing of postponement of the nagging issue. He ballooned hopes and pierced it with the pin of putting off.
He came in front of TV cameras and said that “On the issue of Andhra Pradesh, we are calling the APCC president and the Chief Minister and leaders of all the three regions in the State. There was no specific timeline or a deadline to complete the process of consultations.” The Congress, which hitherto dealt with Telangana and Seemaandhra leaders as two units, now ignited a new controversy to exploit an opportunity to drive a wedge among the leaders of Andhra and Rayalaseema too.
This he said on behalf of the Congress and announced that Sushil Kumar Shinde, in his capacity as the Home Minister, would announce the Government’s stand. Ditto was Shinde’s statement too. He cleverly evaded the ‘mass press’ and chose ‘electronic news agency’ to have his views aired. He also said some more consultations were needed on the issue and it would be completed in a specific time limit. He, however, did not commit on the deadline.
The announcements of the two Union Ministers were very much on the expected lines of the Seemaandhra leaders, while they weren’t a surprise either to the Telangana leaders too.
The Congress leaders demoed their internecine feuds. The TRS made it extremely clear that it would henceforth target the Congress. The agitation will move with the single point agenda of ‘destroy the Congress’.
This stand was announced by T Harish Rao and the TRS leaders seriously aired a similar view.
K Jana Reddy, who called on Shinde, said that he had seen a reason in what Shinde said, and K Keshav Rao too almost apparently got tamed.
The Telangana Congress leaders sought to know how would a consultation with Chief Minister and PCC president Botcha Satyanarayana make any difference, for both of them were in favour of a united Andhra Pradesh.
The TRS leaders spewed venom at the Congress in the ongoing ‘Samara Bheri’. The MPs from Telangana region sounded defiant. Komatireddy Venkata Reddy took very serious exception to the stand taken by Jana Reddy.
The Government, on its part, seemed to be fully prepared to combat the law and order breakdown in the State. Several Telangana protagonists came onto the roads and began sounding the bugle of resentment and agitation. Madhu Yaskhi and V Hanumantha Rao began chanting anti-KVP mantra, which just doesn’t carry any weight within the Congress itself. Their rejection of Azad’s statement by them had no meaning, as they were not ready to tender resignation to their posts.
TDP’s young turk Revanth Reddy asserted with examples that all the protagonists of united Andhra Pradesh were being promoted by the Congress, while those who demoed their lung power in favour of Telangana lost thier jobs. He drew contrast between promotion of Pallam Raju, Kiran Kumar Reddy, Botcha Satyanarayana,
Purandeswari, and demotion of Jupalli Krishna Rao, Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, K Keshav Rao and others. He wanted Jana Reddy, Jaipal Reddy, Balaram Naik and Sarve Satyanarayana to quit their posts and come on to the streets to agitate for Telangana.
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