Centre lacks concern for Telangana people: TRS chief

Hitting out at the ruling Congress for not coming out with a favourable decision on the separate Telangana demand, Telangana Rashtra Samithi president K Chandrasekhar Rao Monday alleged that the Centre lacked even the basic concern for the people of the region.

"Telangana demand has been there since 1966. It has been raised consistently. What further consultations, they will hold? How many committees, meetings have been organised for taking a decision?," he said, speaking at the conclusion of a 36-hour-long 'samar diksha' protest in Hyderabad Monday evening.

Rao's comments came a day after the Centre and Congress deferred the decision on Telangana saying that "further consultations" which will take a "little more time" are needed to arrive at a final decision on the issue.

"Even the 'chaprasis' (peons) in Delhi used to wish me by saying 'Jai Telangana'. But Centre did not have that concern. Is there a strike organised elsewhere, like the one (over 40-day-long) we had held?..Still, the Centre did not move. Is this the democracy?...Three generations of Congress leadership, from Pandit Nehru to Sonia, have betrayed Telangana", he claimed.

Reiterating that he was recently called to Delhi for talks on the issue, the TRS chief maintained that Congress did not accept the separate statehood demand even though he had offered to merge his party with it.

A massive protest like 'Chalo Assembly' with thousands of people will be organised whenever next assembly session is held, he said.

On the future course of action, the TRS chief said the Telangana Joint Action Committee will chalk out the future plan after consulting its constituents.

Lashing out at the ministers hailing from Telangana for not agreeing to quit their posts to mount pressure on Centre, Rao alleged that they only hankered for power.