Centre trying hard to split State: Ashok

P.Ashok Gajapati Raju, TDP Polit Bureau member and MLA, has said 219 MLAs out of 294 in the Assembly had so far resigned after Union Home Minister P. Chidamabaram made a statement on separate statehood for Telengana on December 9. Though the MLAs submitted resignations, then Governor N.D. Tiwari had not felt it as a constitutional crisis but was busy with his other activities that brought disrepute to the gubernatorial post. Yet, the Centre is trying hard to split the State. There was need to begin stir once again for the unified State, he felt. The hidden agenda of both the State and Central governments would put people to hardship in the near future. Already following corrupt practices of the Ministers and present unrest industrialists had been looking towards other states for investments.

Expressing concern over rising prices of essential commodities that burdened the poor and middle classes, he said at the district committee meeting of the party on Wednesday, the government instead of making efforts to control soaring prices slapped additional taxes on all items. As a responsible Opposition party there was need to fight against the government for the welfare of people, he added.

Party observer and State general secretary B. Umamaheswara Rao doubted whether or not the government existed in the state. He called upon the party men to launch an agitation on soaring prices and demanded Chief Minister K. Rosaiah to order Vigilance sleuths to conduct raids on hoarders to control prices. Party district convenor and MLA Kolla Lalitha Kumari and party leaders Gadde Babu Rao, Y. Ramana Murty, R.P. Banj Deo, Sobha Hymavathi, G. Sandhya Rani and D. Jagadish participated.