BJP slams ministers for terming Telangana demand anti-national

Strongly criticising alleged remarks by a group of non-Telangana ministers terming demand of separate Telangana state as anti-national, former Union minister and BJP leader Ch Vidyasagar Rao today demanded dismissal of ministers who made critical comments in their reports submitted to Srikrishna Committee recently.

Speaking to reporters here, Rao claimed that the group of ministers hailing from Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra region have mentioned in their report that demand for statehood to Telangana region is a cognisable offence and anti-national and will attract punishment for criminal conspiracy under section 120 b of IPC.

However, the allegations were denied by the ministers. State Endowments Minister Gade Venkata Reddy, who made the presentation to the Sri Krishna committee on behalf of the
ministers, had clarified that they never remarked that separate statehood demand was anti-national.

He urged Srikrishna committee to send the report to Saifabad police station here for verification and said if any objectionable comment was found in the report, an action should be initiated against them.

The non-Telangana ministers who submitted the report have no moral rights to continue in the cabinet and they should be dismissed, Rao said.

They humiliated Telangana people by describing the demand for statehood to Telangana as a cognisable offence, he said.