KCRs remarks will weaken Telangana movement

HYDERABAD: Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member K Keshava Rao has taken exception to Telangana Rashtra Samiti chief K Chandrasekhara Rao’s apprehension that a separate state Telangana might not materialise till 2014.Speaking to reporters after an informal meeting of the Telangana Congress Steering Committee  at his residence here on Sunday, Keshava Rao said that such comments would only weaken the movement.“The Centre will have to honour the sentiment of four crore people. If all Telangana leaders remained united, creation of new state will be possible even before the end of this year.’’Keshava Rao said that the steering committee decided to wait till the end of this month for a statement on Telangana since AICC general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad had made a request to this effect. He hoped that Azad would complete the process of consultations by the end of this month and come out with a statement on Telangana. “Though we wanted him to make an announcement on September 17 itself (Telangana Liberation Day) we have decided to wait till the end of this month with an intention to give him some more time.”Keshava Rao made it clear that after September, the Congress leaders of the region would not wait further and would get ready for a showdown with the party high command. The issue would be discussed at the meeting of the Telangana Congress MPs to be held in Delhi on Monday, he said.Echoing Keshava Rao’s view, former minister Jupalli Krishna Rao said  KCR’s comments would only discourage the activists in taking the movement forward. He admitted that the Congress people’s representatives had not succeeded in convincing the party high command on the Telangana issue and appealed to all sections of people in the region to support Sakala Janula Samme from September 13.