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Telangana Turmoil Hyderabad, October 2 Rao’s assertion came in the backdrop of reports that the UPA government was considering bifurcation of AP while granting Union Territory status to Hyderabad, a bustling IT hub of over 70 lakh population which has emerged as a major bone of contention between Telangana protagonists and integrationists.There are indications that the Centre was keen on breaking the logjam over Telangana issue by offering an “out-of-the-box” solution. Making Hyderabad a joint capital and a common asset after the state’s division and granting UT status are among the proposals under consideration. The main focus of the ongoing consultation process by the Congress high command is on the future of Hyderabad in the event of the state’s division. Neither Telangana protagonists nor integrationists are willing to give up their claim on the city. Over decades, the city has attracted a large number of people from other regions who are strongly opposed to the bifurcation. The Muslims, who constitute over 40 percent of the city’s population, are also said to be opposed to the division of the state. The Majlis-Ittehadul-Muslimeen (MIM), an influential Muslim party having seven MLAs and an MP from the city, is in favour of keeping the state united. In its 500-page report, Justice BN Srikrishna Commission had also noted that Muslims in Hyderabad were not in favour of a separate Telangana state as they would feel more secure in the larger state of united AP. Warning that the ongoing general strike by employees and workers across the region could slip out of hands if the Centre continued to ignore the seriousness of the issue, Rao urged the UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to intervene and take urgent steps to honour the commitment given to the people of Telangana. “Any further delay may cause untoward incidents. The Centre must intervene now and resolve the issue,” the MP from Mahaboobnagar said. The TRS Chief also debunked the argument that some of the key allies of the UPA were opposed to formation of Telangana state. “Mamata Banerjee and Sharad Pawar have clarified that they will not stand in the way of creation of Telangana state,” he said. He also disagreed with the view that the continued agitation, marked by frequent shutdowns and disruptions, was adversely affecting the brand image of Hyderabad. “The stir has been peaceful so far. It is people’s movement as reflected by the participation of people from all walks of life. The agitation will continue till the goal is achieved,” Rao said. “The people of Telangana want the UPA to keep up its promise made on the floor of the Parliament. How can they go back on the promise they had made in the Parliament?” Rao asked. The Telangana leader rubbished the argument that Maoists would gain strength if Telangana state was formed. “It is a false propaganda that the separate state will give fillip to the Naxalite activity. At present, the Maoist activity in Telangana region is almost zero and there is no scope for its revival when Telangana state becomes a reality,” he said.
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As the Telangana region continues to remain paralysed due to an indefinite general strike, the architect of the statehood movement and President of Telangana Rashtra Samithi K Chandrasekhar Rao said that he would agree for making Hyderabad a shared capital for a “specific period of time” after bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. “Hyderabad can be a joint capital till a new capital city is constructed for coastal and Rayalassema regions. However, a separate Telangana state without Hyderabad is not acceptable to us under any circumstances,” Rao told The Tribune in an interview here. The firebrand Telangana leader, who has been in forefront of the agitation for the last 10 years, made it clear that they would oppose tooth and nail any proposal to declare Hyderabad as Union Territory. “There is no precedent in the country where an existing capital city was made Union Territory after bifurcation. Delinking Hyderabad from Telangana is as good as rejecting the core aspirations of the people of the region,” Rao said.