Hours after YSR Congress President and Kadapa MP Y S Jaganmohan Reddy resigned as Lok Sabha member and his mother Y S Vijaya resigned from the assembly protesting against the decision to divide Andhra Pradesh, Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh on Saturday attempted to pacify the two leaders, saying the decision to create a separate state of Telangana was initiated by Y S Rajasekhara Reddy.
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"I can only say that and appeal to the YSR Party also that the bifurcation of the state of Andhra Pradesh was initiated when YSR was the CLP leader of the Congress Party in 1999. He was also a party to the manifesto which we released in 2004. He was also a party when we went into an alliance with the TRS. He was also a party to his statement made in the floor of the house. So therefore, it is a commitment which Congress Party had made," Singh told media here.
"It was a commitment made by the duly elected CLP leader of the Congress Party. The Congress Party has always hailed YSR in the highest esteem. He was a dynamic leader and this country has lost a very dynamic, progressive leader in YSR. So therefore, I would urge upon his family to understand that if the state that has been bifurcated and the issue of Telangana has been resolved, it is a continuation of his effort for the creation of a state of Telangana," he added.
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Digvijay Singh also reached out to those protesting across the two regions of Rayalaseema and Coastal Andhra against the creation of Telangana.
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"Please call off the strike. All the issues, all their problems they can address to the Antony Committee and we shall ensure that their concerns are protected. And they need not feel threatened by anyone by the bifurcation of the state of Andhra Pradesh," said Singh.
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"I would also request them that we have to work together in the best interest of all regions of Andhra Pradesh and see that the all-round development of all areas takes place," he added.
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Digvijay Singh further said the Congress Working Committee (CWC) has also pointed out that the concerns of all the backward areas of Rayalseema and Andhra would be given a package.
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"As far as the issue of employment and the issue of education, I would like to point out that aren't students from all over the country studying in Delhi, aren't students from all over India studying in Hyderabad or in Mumbai. I would like to point out that in a democratic free country like India, every citizen of this country has a right to do business in any part of the country," said Singh.
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"And therefore, I would request all students, all government employees, all NGOs to please try to understand that the Congress Party has taken a decision after talking to all the political parties. And after almost a consensus on the bifurcation of the state, the Congress Working Committee has finally taken a decision," he added.
Y S Jaganmohan Reddy earlier in the day tendered resignation from his Lok Sabha membership, protesting the manner in which the Congress Party sought to divide Andhra Pradesh.
Simultaneously, his mother Y S Vijaya, who is MLA from Pulivendula in Kadapa district, also resigned from the membership of the assembly.
Congress President Sonia Gandhi had earlier this week approved the constitution of a four-member committee headed by Defence Minister A.K. Antony amid protests by some party leaders against formation of separate statehood of Telangana.
Asking the Centre keep Andhra Pradesh united, more and more groups of people like auto rickshaw drivers, hotel managers associations are taking part in the protest demonstrations being held across the two regions of Rayalaseema and Coastal Andhra.
Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde has said that the process for the formation of the new state of Telangana would take about five to six months as per constitutional norms.
"The Congress Working Committee (CWC) has passed a resolution and further procedure will be done according to the Constitution of India. Telangana will be formed by following all the procedures and it would take five to six months," he said.
He also added that Telangana was being formed because it was the oldest issue and the people of that region have been agitating and demanding the formation of a separate state since 1956.
