Congress decision on Telangana 'suspicious', says Meenakshi Lekhi

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Meenakshi Lekhi on Wednesday termed the ruling Congress party's decision to create a state of Telengana as 'suspicious'. She also said the Congress does not have an internal consensus with regard to the decision.

"Due to bad governance and implementation of policies, people have chosen to have a separate state. The intent, motive, timing, and methodology adopted by the Congress party are all under suspicion and are suspect" Lekhi said here today.

Saying that the BJP believes that smaller states are better-governed models, Lekhi said that though these should be created on principle it is important to holistically consider the basis for creation in each case amidst the appreciating demand for new states.

" But which states, why, where the money is going to come from, where the capital is going to be, whether everybody is going t get a fair treatment or not-those are the issues that need to be taken into consideration deeply and correctly" Lekhi said.

Slamming the Congress for not being able to have a united voice on the Telengana issue, Lekhi said: "Even the Congress party today is not on the same page. The Chief Minister has threatened to resign, the Home Minister made a statement that naxalism is going to increase, CWC made an announcement, the cabinet has yet not made an announcement and we have seen in the past in 2004 and 2009 on how they have gone back on their word."

As the resolution will have to be moved in the Andhra Pradesh assembly, Lekhi expressed doubts over how the legislative assembly of the state would function.

"Merely by making statements you cannot create a new state. There has to be a reasoned discourse behind creating a new state. There has to be a proper study and reports before you create a new state. Now, a lot of people are jumping in the fray (and) demanding a few things but the background job to be done is amiss," Lekhi said.

The CWC and the UPA Coordination Committee cleared the formation of Telangana on Tuesday evening. They announced Hyderabad as the joint capital for ten years.

The Union Cabinet is likely to meet this week to take a final call on Telangana formation.

According to reports, Congress MP Vilas Muttemwar, who is a member of the Congress Working Committee, has written to party chief Sonia Gandhi to press for the creation of Vidarbha.

Moreover, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) has called for the shutdown over a demand for the creation of a separate state of Gorkhaland to be carved out of parts of Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts of northern West Bengal.