BJP backs separate statehood for Telangana

New Delhi Dec 7: The Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday demanded statehood for Telangana,reminding the ruling Congress of its promise to Telangana Rashtra Samiti(Trs) whose chief K Chandrasekhar Rao  during the  elections.KCR is  now  on an indefinite  fast pressing  the demand for a Telangana.Raising the issue during Zero Hour in the Lok Sabha, BJP deputy leader Sushma Swaraj said the agitation for a separate State of Telangana has already claimed 14 lives,including a woman,in Andhra Pradesh.Suicides by these 14 people prove that the demand has a comprehensive support base and, therefore,the Congress-led UPA govenment should pass a law setting up Telangana State.It is possible for Parliament to enact this legistation since BJP supports the demand, she added.

She said BJP had always been supporting the Telangana demand, pointing out that it was during the NDA rule three States of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Uttarakhand were formed.Sushma Swaraj reminded the Congress of its pact with the Trs on the issue in 2004 and formation of the two parties' joint panel headed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee. But the Congress, she said, did not fulfil the pledge and Mr Rao walked out the UPA-1.

The BJP leader said Congress President Sonia Gandhi promised a separate Telangana State when UPA-2 took over but the Central government has not moved forward in the last six months.The UPA government should not delay formation of Telangana as students in Andhra Pradesh had launched"now or never" agitation to press for carving out the State from AP, she added.