No Telangana state without BJP: Sushma

Nalgonda/Medak/Warangal/Hyderabad: Ridiculing the claim of the Congress that it had delivered Telangana state on its own, BJP senior leader Sushma Swaraj said on Saturday that the Telangana bill was passed in Parliament only with the whole-hearted efforts of the BJP.

Addressing public meetings at Narsapur in Medak district, Hanumakonda in Warangal district, Choutuppal in Nalgonda district and Jummerat Bazaar in Hyderabad, she said BJP had wanted the people of Telangana and Seemandhra to part as brothers while the Congress created differences and animosity between the two by dividing the state in a hasty manner.

'Fearing that the NDA would come to power and form Telangana state as per its promise of giving Telangana in 100 days, the UPA government had introduced the Telangana bill in a hurried manner after taking consent from top BJP leaders Rajnath Singh and LK Advani.

Even though the atmosphere in the House was not conducive, it (UPA) introduced the bill and expected to gain political mileage, if for any reason, the bill did not get passed,' she alleged. Swaraj held the Congress responsible for the death of 1,100 youths in Telangana.

'If Telangana is a reality today, it is due to the sacrifices of the brave youth of Telangana and the sustained people's movement,'' she said, while cautioning the people against voting for the Congress which she described as corrupt and self-serving party.

'The entire country now wants to see the BJP-led NDA form the next government at the Centre and that wish will come true,' she predicted and exuded confidence that the TDP-BJP combine would form the government in Telangana.

She said time has come to overthrow the Congress in the state and at the Centre, for it had derailed the country's economy in the last 10 years. 'It will be a Herculean task for the NDA that will come to power to bring the economy back on track. But we will do it,' she said.

Launching a broadside against TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao, the Leader of the Opposition said a person who led a people's movement should behave in a responsible manner and should never make provocative speeches.

'But, KCR seems to believe in only provoking others for his own political gains. Even after formation of a separate Telangana state, there has been no change in his attitude,' she alleged.

Terming KCR's alleged intention to become either the chief minister of Telangana or a minister in a Third Front government at the Centre as a 'day dream', Swaraj predicted that after elections, the TRS chief would end up 'neither here (in state) nor there (in Delhi).'

Finding fault with KCR for his reported remarks that he would stop supply of irrigation water to Seemandhra, she said once the NDA comes to power at the Centre and the TDP-BJP combine in the state, they would ensure that the waters of Krishna and Godavari, going waste into the sea, were better utilised. 'We will see to it that both the states benefit equally and their drinking water and irrigation needs are addressed,' she promised.

Appealing to the people to elect the BJP, that has able leadership for developing Telangana in all spheres of activity, she promised to revive the past glory of Medak district which was once hailed as the 'Rice Bowl' of Telangana.

She also promised that the NDA government would develop an industrial corridor in Telangana to address the issue of unemployment. In Nalgonda, she assured that the NDA government would take care of the fluoride-affected people in the district and ensure safe drinking water to the fluoride-affected areas.