Kodandaram distorting history, poisoning minds: Payyavula

Telugu Desam Party MLA Payyavula Kesav on Thursday charged Telangana Joint Action Committee convener Prof Kodandaram of distorting historical facts on Telangana agitation and diverting the attention of Telangana people.

Talking to media persons at the TDLP office, Mr Keshav alleged that Prof Kodandaram was sowing ‘poisonous’ seeds of division in the minds of Seemandra and Telangana people, who are like brothers in a same family.

Condemning Kodandaram for calling upon people to observe November 1, the Formation Day of Andhra Pradesh state, as ‘Betrayal Day’, he said it only hints that who are the real betrayers of the state and Telangana.

Mr Keshav recalled that during the struggle for formation of the Andhra Pradesh state, 103 MLAs had favoured integration and 29 MLAs had been opposed. The Telangana leaders themselves had joined voluntarily in the United Andhra agitation and no Seemandhra leaders had invited them, he pointed out. 

The MLA questioned Prof Kodandaram if all those who participated in the agitation of separation of state were betrayers.

 “If he distorts historical facts, the people of state will not forgive him and treat him as a betrayer”, he said.

Mr Keshav criticised Telangana leaders for politicising Batukamma festival for getting mileage on it. The Batukamma festival should become a festival of poor and not become a livelihood for some vested interests, he stated.