PC's T-statement not on Cong lines: Venkat Reddy

Hyderabad, Jan1: Openly defying the partyline, Minister for Endowments Gade Venkata Reddy on Friday said the statement made by Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on the Telangana issue was not in conformity with the Congress party's traditional stand. Venkata Reddy said an independent body should decide on the need for a separate Telangana and everyone should abide by the outcome of the body.

Reddy told newsmen at the Secretariat that he favoured a United Andhra Pradesh and the Congress party never considered the formation of separate Telangana state but was committed to the second State Reorganization Commission in its 2004 election manifesto. Reddy said even in the 2009 election manifesto, the party promised to form a consensus on the issue.

The Endowments Minister said it was only a ‘misconception’ that the Congress had promised to carve out a separate Telangana state. He said party president Sonia Gandhi made no assurance on the creation of a separate Telangana state.He dared the government to make public the details of development works undertaken in Telangana and Coastal Andhra regions since 1959 to dispel doubts of people over the alleged backwardness in Telangana region.