Telangana agitation is historic: Shankar Rao

Describing the Telangana agitation as historic, Handlooms and Textiles Minister Dr P Shankar Rao on Friday stated that no one should compare this statehood agitation with any other issue.

Talking to media persons at Congress Legislature Party office, Shankar Rao lauded the employees who are participating in the general strike and said that people of the region would not forget their sacrifices made for the statehood agitation.

Stating that indications are coming from the Centre towards taking positive decision on statehood, he appealed to all sections of people not to resort to extreme steps due to delay in formation of state.

Dr Shankar Rao slammed Congress MLC Paladugu Venkata Rao for describing Telangana Rashtra Samithi president K Chandrasekhar Rao and Telangana Political Joint Action Committee chairman Prof Kodandaram as destroyers of Telangana. “It is not good for Paladugu to describe KCR and Kodandaram as destroyers of Telangana,” he said and advised him to not make provocative statements that could disturb peace in the region.

The minister claimed that the Seemandhra leaders, who were opposed to bifurcation of the State, are now relenting and ready to oblige the high command decision on Telangana state. He said the Seemandhra leaders are seeking an early decision on Telangana to put an end to uncertainty.

He also appealed to the Centre to bear additional burden of power cost purchased from other states by Andhra Pradesh government due to power crisis, which the Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy is planning to pass on to the common people. 

Shankar Rao also predicted the merger of YSR Congress party in the Congress soon.