Rajya Sabha member from Telangana, K Keshava Rao spoke emotionally in the house today. Rao said, “the Union Home Minister virtually announced Telangana here. But nothing happened”.
Supporting BJP MP Prakash Javadekar’s criticism that there was no forward movement towards creation of the separate state even as Chidambaram had said that the process for it had virtually begun. “What is this? Do you think they are not human beings? Only because we want Telangana state, you do not want to hear us at all. Kill us. That will solve the problem for you. All that you want is peace, Rao said.
Noting that Congress leaders of Telangana had withdrawn their strike on Telangana issue as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had said let peace be there, he asked whether there is any other example, where entire Assembly resigns, where all MPs, Ministers of a region resign on an issue. “If the democratic voice cannot be heard, what is the use of Parliament? If the democratic voice cannot be heard, what is the use of democracy?” Rao asked.
The Congress leader said that while none of the former Prime Ministers Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Rajiv Gandhi and Narasimha Rao talk about Telangana, Congress President Sonia Gandhi promised it and “she should give it”. “I believe that she would uphold this promise and a new state of Telangana would come up under her leadership,” he said.
Raising the issue in Zero Hour, Javadekar claimed that 609 persons had committed suicide on the issue of Telangana so far, saying the government needs to show political will to bring a bill for creation of Telangana. “NDA will support any such bill,” he said. He demanded that his notice for suspension of Question Hour to discuss the Army chief’s allegation be taken up. The opposition uproar led to adjournment of the House till noon. Javadekar also accused the government of indulging in “time killing” by constituting committees over the issue and said an “insensitive” government fuels peoples’ anger. He pointed out that after the suicide of an MBBS student on the issue two days back, an auto rickshaw driver today committed suicide protesting the delay in Telangana statehood.