BJP pulls up Congress, says 'Telangana a story of continuous betrayal'

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday lashed out at the ruling Congress Party at the Centre for betraying the Telangana cause, and agreed to support the bill in Parliament.

"Bring the bill, we will support and the state can happen. But I don't know whether they are going to fool Telangana again. But that is what they have done for the last 56 years. It is a story of continuous betrayal," said BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy met Congress President Sonia Gandhi here on Friday ahead of a crucial meeting of the Congress Core Group this evening to decide on the demands for a separate Telangana state.

The Congress Core Group will meet here later in the day to discuss the Telangana separate statehood issue.

Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh, who is in-charge for Andhra Pradesh, yesterday said that the Centre has to consult UPA partners and opposition parties, as the decision could require amendments to the Constitution.

Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi and other senior Cabinet ministers and leaders from the ruling party's core group are expected to attend the meeting.

Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde earlier on Wednesday said the consultations on the demand for a separate Telangana were still on and it would take time for arriving at a decision.

"How can I make a comment on the core group's plan? There is a high command which will take a decision," he said, when asked whether a decision was expected from the Congress Core Group.

Congress MPs from Telangana have so far accused the Centre of following what they call a 'one-step-forward-two-backward' approach when it comes to addressing their demand for a separate state.

The Centre's flip-flop over the issue began in December 2009 when the then Home Minister P. Chidambaram promised the formation of a new state only to go back on it after a few days.

The issue was later pushed before a committee headed by Justice B.N. Srikrishna. This panel did not come up with a tangible solution, but instead presented six options.

These included the creation of a Telangana Regional Council within Andhra, bifurcation of the state into Telangana with Hyderabad as the capital and Seemandhra with a new capital; bifurcation of the state into Seemandhra and Telangana after making Hyderabad a Union Territory; bifurcation of the state into Seemandhra and Telangana with enlarged Hyderabad metropolis as a Union Territory; bifurcation of the state into Rayala Telangana and Coastal Andhra; and maintenance of status quo.