Hyderabad, December 17
Adopting a belligerent stance, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi President K Chandrashekar Rao today warned of a “calamity” if the UPA government backtracked on its decision to carve out a separate Telangana state.

“No force on earth can now stop formation of Telangana state,” Rao said in his first press conference here today after breaking his indefinite fast on December 9 following the Centre’s announcement on Telangana.

A combative TRS chief, whose fast-unto-death had precipitated the Telangana issue, warned of violent repercussions if the process of formation of the new state was halted or obstructed.

While expressing full faith in Congress President Sonia Gandhi’s commitment to create Telangana state, he ridiculed the idea of passing a resolution in this regard by the Assembly.

Contending that there was no need for Assembly resolution, Rao said that article 3 of the constitution empowered the Central government to take a decision on creation of new states and send the proposal to the President.

The President would, in turn, send it to the concerned Assembly for its opinion. “This opinion is not binding on the Centre. This has been made clear by the largest ever Constitutional Bench comprising of 17 Judges on the issue of a resolution when Gujarat was carved out from Maharashtra”, he said.

Rao’s prescription is at variance with the Centre’s proposal that the AP Assembly should first pass the resolution before the Parliament can take it up. Given the sharp regional divide in the state, such a resolution can never be passed.

However, the TRS chief made it clear that it was for the Centre to complete the process of Telangana formation after having announced a “clear decision”.

“We are silently waiting for the Centre to initiate and complete the process for statehood. If anyone takes our strategic silence for granted or misconstrues it, we will teach them a lesson the way it should be taught. It will not be ordinary”, Rao said.

“Behind our strategic silence lies a huge explosion,” he warned.

Rubbishing the ongoing agitation in coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions for integrated state as “artificially engineered”, he said the common public in these two regions had no objection to the bifurcation of the state.

“This is being propped up by a handful of selfish leaders, capitalists and conspirators who want to protect their assets in Hyderabad. They are using their money power to prop up this artificial agitation. They want to perpetuate their dominance and looting of Telangana resources,” Rao said.

Taking a serious note of attacks on people from Telangana region, he said: “If you hit with a brick, we will reply with a stone. This is a relentless struggle and will continue till it achieves its goal, which is statehood for Telangana”.

Asked about Hyderabad emerging as a bone of contention in the event of Telangana becoming a separate state, he said, “No question of it (Hyderabad) being a bone of contention. If anybody says so, you will see what will happen in Hyderabad”.

The TRS leader came down heavily on Telugu Desam Party President N Chandrababu Naidu, actor-turned-politician and President of Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) Chiranjeevi for their flip-flops on Telangana issue.

As Rao was addressing the media, a delegation of ruling Congress MLAs and MLCs, opposed to the bifurcation, were in a meeting with Union Home Minister P Chidambaram in Delhi to put across their viewpoint.

Emerging from the meeting, senior Congress legislator JC Diwakar Reddy said “Chidambaram has assured us that the Centre will re-consider its decision (on Telangana). All the leaders we have met clearly said that no step to divide the state will be taken unless a resolution comes from the Assembly. And majority MLAs are in favour of an integrated state”.