Threatening settlers would be counterproductive: Somireddy

Reacting to the demand that people of Seemandhra regions who have settled in Telangana should support the separate statehood agitation, the Telugu Desam Party on Saturday urged the Telangana Political Joint Action Committee to think twice before making statements which could damage the chances of getting investments in the region.

Talking to media persons at the NTR Trust Bhavan, senior leader Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy said issuing threats to ‘settlers’ that they should join the separate statehood agitation was not only ‘unwise,’ it was also uncalled for.

“What is the fault of the common man if he has settled in Telangana? People like Lagadapati Rajagopal and Kavuri Sambhasiva Rao are not representatives of all the Seemandhra investors. The pro-Telangana activists should not get provoked by the statements of these two leaders. They should be careful in not venting out their anger at the common man,” the former minister said.

He continued, “There is nothing wrong if people from Seemandhra regions invest in Telangana. They should not be threatened,” the former minister said.

The TDP leader added that any amount of agitations will not make the ‘settlers’ leave Hyderabad and return to their native places. “Agitate as much as you want to. But do not issue threats against the common ‘settlers’. In doing so, you will also drive away potential investors and companies from the state,” Mr Somireddy said.

The senior leader also said that he would continue his opposition to the separate Telangana statehood demand and continue efforts to keep the state integrated.