Hyderabad, Apr 17 (PTI) Ruling Congress workers in Telangana on Friday held protests alleging that BJP MP Tejasvi Surya insulted Telangana by comparing bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh with the country’s partition in 1947.
The Congress workers, led by state Youth Congress president Jakkidi Shiva Charan Reddy, who gathered at the party’s Telangana headquarters here, alleged that Surya insulted the 60-year-old statehood agitation.
Raising slogans against Surya, they burnt his effigy and demanded an apology.
Separately, Congress workers also held a protest at the Martyrs Memorial in front of legislature complex in the city.
Surya had on April 16 said his statement in Parliament during the debate on women’s reservation amendment bill was being “mischievously twisted”.
Taking exception to Surya’s comments, state Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar on April 16 sent a letter to DGP B Shivadhar Reddy to examine the matter and take appropriate action as deemed fit to prevent spread of misinformation and to “maintain public order and harmony”.
Hitting out at Congress for its protests against Surya, Union MoS (Home) Bandi Sanjay Kumar said Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, before joining Congress, held party leader Sonia Gandhi responsible for the suicides of youth in support of Telangana agitation.
Revanth Reddy had even called Sonia Gandhi as ‘bali devata’ (goddess of sacrifices), Sanjay Kumar said in a statement.
Congress leaders and activists, who are now working under the leadership of Revanth Reddy, have no right to find fault with BJP and its leaders, he added.
Surya, in a post on X, said “he rejects the deliberate insinuation being furthered by Congress.” He said he had long-standing respect for the “martyrs” (those who committed suicides in support of Telangana statehood cause) and protesters who sustained the statehood movement.
His comments must be seen as a reminder of how the Congress has traditionally betrayed the southern states, he said.
In the case of the Telangana movement in particular, Congress’ betrayal has been stark as it was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of youth during the long statehood agitation, he said.
Speaking in Parliament on April 16, Surya slammed the way the then UPA government bifurcated undivided Andhra Pradesh in 2014.
“If you remember, the way the UPA divided undivided Andhra Pradesh into AP and Telangana, it was done in a worse fashion than the British did the partition of India and Pakistan. This is the kind of legacy they have,” he said. PTI SJR SJR ROH
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