With the agitation for separate Telangana intensifying in Andhra Pradesh, the BJP on Thursday exerted pressure on the Centre to bring a bill for carving out a new state and accused Congress of "betraying" people of the region.
Raising the issue in the Rajya Sabha during Zero Hour, Prakash Javdekar said, "If the government brings a bill for separate Telangana, we will support it without doing the vote politics."
He said while the demand for creation of Telangana has been there for last 50 years, the Congress in 2004 had assured its erstwhile ally TRS that the separate state would be formed.
"They came into power. But they never brought the bill... TRS kept on hoping that Madam (Sonia Gandhi) would do something but nothing happened," Javdekar said.
He said Telgu Desam Party (TDP), which was earlier opposed to the division of Andhra Pradesh is also supporting the Telangana statehood now.
The BJP member said the people of the region, who feel betrayed, have come out in the streets.
People of Telangana "are feeling betrayed continuously... this policy of betrayal should end at least now," he said.
"Universities, colleges, schools are all closed... agitating farmers and traders are up in arms," he said.
The TRS chief K Chandrashekhar Rao, spearheading the Telangana movement has been shifted to a hospital after he undertook a fast unto death.
Telangana is considered to be the most backward among the three regions in Andhra Pradesh.
BJP on Thursday offered its support to the demand for carving out a new state of Telengana from Andhra Pradesh with party President Rajnath Singh assuring a TRS delegation that the main opposition will raise the issue in Parliament.
A delegation of TRS leaders, led by former party MP B Vinod Kumar and MLA in Andhra Pradesh Assembly Ravindra Reddy, called on Rajnath Singh to seek the support of BJP for formation of Telengana.
Singh wished for the good health of TRS Chief K Chandrashekhar Rao, who is on a hunger strike demanding a separate state of Telengana. He told the delegation that BJP had always supported their cause.
He promised to raise the issue in Parliament. Later in the day, BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar spoke on the issue in Rajya Sabha. Singh said he will discuss the issue with his colleagues Sushma Swaraj and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha L K Advani to chalk out the future strategy for fighting for this cause.
Singh said the UPA government should also take into consideration the fact that emotions of the locals were attached to the cause.
Most political parties are now supporting the cause of Telengana. This includes TDP and PRP. PTI
