Kiran Reddy's statement draws ire

Chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy's statement yesterday against the Congress Working Committee (CWC) decision on bifurcating Andhra Pradesh has received strong reactions.

Taking strong exception to the chief minister's observation that the bifurcation would create more problems instead of solving the existing ones, deputy chief minister Damodara Rajanarasimha today asked his leader to clarify as to who had created these problems in the united Andhra Pradesh and who is going to create new problems after bifurcation.

Former PCC president D Srinivas accused him of spreading falsehoods to block the creation of Telangana state.

K Chandrasekhara Rao, president of Telangana Rashtra Samithi, termed his comments on the status of Hyderabad, possible trouble in sharing river waters between the two regions and power issues in Telangana, as a statement made by a person having lost his mental balance.

When 11 countries could share the water of the River Nile, and the water in five rivers by India and Pakistan, how come the two future states within the country cannot handle water issues, asked KCR while making light of the apprehensions that Seemandhra may not receive water for irrigation under the existing reservoirs if Telangana was created.

Responding to the chief minister's objection to the CWC's decision on Telangana statehood, Union Minister S Jaipal Reddy said the decision was already made and it is irreversible now. V Hanumanth Rao, a former PCC president, warned that the provocative statements made by the chief minister would result in yet another round of agitations in the Telangana region.

Meanwhile, five MLAs from coastal Andhra district of Srikakulam, including senior Congress leader and former minister Dharmana Prasada Rao, announced their resignations against the party's decision to bifurcate the state.

They said they would work with the agitating masses seeking the status quo.