Jagan seeks 'right' decision on Telangana

Facing the heat over the demand for statehood, YSR Congress president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy on Saturday said his outfit “respects the sentiment” of the people of Telangana and demanded the Centre immediately take a “right decision” on the contentious issue.

“We respect the sentiment of Telangana people, but are neither in a position to grant statehood or block it. It is for the central government to take a decision that will not harm the interests of the people of different regions (of Andhra Pradesh),” he said, delivering the valedictory address at the two-day plenary of his new party at Rajiv Knowledge Valley this afternoon.

By spelling out his stand, though in a rather ambiguous manner, Jagan tried to buy peace with the the pro-Telangana forces as he has faced a lot of antagonism in the region ever since he held aloft a placard in support of a unified state in Lok Sabha when he was a Congress MP in 2010.

He was prevented from conducting his ‘Odarpu yatra’ in Warangal district, the hotbed of Telangana agitation, till he came out with a clear view on the statehood demand.

The MP-elect lashed out at the central government for “playing with the lives of people of Andhra Pradesh” for many years on the vexatious statehood issue.

“AP is in total chaos... People are ending lives... properties are getting damaged. The government is solely responsible. It should stop playing this game at once and take a right decision that does not harm the interests of people of different regions and lead to further acrimony,” Jagan demanded.