"We will build a Telangana state where the public will have a major say in the development process. We will realize the dreams of Telangana people to lead a life with self-respect,"
HYDERABAD: As a prelude to forming a new party, T Devender Goud, who had recently resigned from TDP over the Telangana issue, on Saturday vowed to build a statehood movement making the weaker sections the main partners in development process.
"We will build a Telangana state where the public will have a major say in the development process. We will realize the dreams of Telangana people to lead a life with self-respect," he said.
Goud was speaking at a meeting he convened to interact with Telangana ideologues, academcians and representatives of various organisations fighting for statehood cause.
After quitting TDP, a party he had served for two decades, Goud is in the process of forming a new party to fight for separate Telangana state.
He is expected to announce the launch of a new party after consultations with pro-Telangana leaders from various walks of life.
Goud, who was seen as number two in TDP, had already ruled out joining hands with K Chandrasekhar Rao-led TRS which has been in the forefront of the Telangana movement.
Goud attacked both ruling Congress and TDP for cheating Telangana people and denying their legimate demand for separate state.
"Both the parties acknowledge the existence of Telangana sentiment but are doing precious little to carve out separate states. The time has come to demand our due," he said.
Goud was unsparing in his attack on Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy and his long-time colleague N Chandrababu Naidu.
"These two leaders from Rayalaseema region (Reddy and Naidu) are dictating terms to us. How long should we keep quiet," Goud wondered and sought suggestions from the gathering on how to take the Telangana movement forward.
On his decision to quit TDP after holding several key positions in the organisation, he said he felt suffocated as the regional party had refused to take a positive stand on Telangana demand as its leadership was only focused on votebank politics.
"The TDP revolves around Chandrababu Naidu. After trying unsuccessfully to convince him on Telangana issue, I have come out of the party in the interests of the self-respect of my people. I could no longer deceive myself by continuing in the party," he said.
Goud, however, said he did not want to engineer a split and destroy the party.
Ridiculing Naidu's decision to constitute a five-member panel on Telangana, he said he had no faith in it.
Asserting that Telangana people have a strong desire to break free from the "domination of leaders from other regions", he said Telangana would be a decisive factor in the next elections and would "decide who should form the government at the Centre".
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