TRS supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao today threw the ball in Centre's court on the creation of a separate Telangana state and insisted that Hyderabad will be the capital of the proposed state.
Rao ruled out sharing of Hyderabad as capital with Andhra Pradesh like Chandigarh being shared by Haryana and Punjab. "Chandigarh and Hyderabad can never be compared".
"Having made the announcement, it is upto them (the Centre) to resolve the issue. I think, they are at it", Rao, who is recuperating at his home after a 13-day fast protest, told NDTV.
When asked specifically whether he would go back on the Telangana issue in view of the evolving situation in the rest of Andhra Pradesh, he said, "The question does not arise. An arrow once leaves the bow cannot be brought back".
Profusely praising Congress President Sonia Gandhi, he said that the whole burden of the people of Telangana was now on her shoulders and "I am thankful to her...becuase of her initiative and grace, today the dream has come true"'
Claiming that Gandhi loved him like her son, Rao said I have a "lot of faith" in her and "fairly good person" Manmohan Singh, who is at the helm of affairs.
"It is better for the leaders of Andhra Pradesh to concede to the request of Sonia Gandhi", he said dubbing the anti-Telangana agitation as an "artificial" one, "prompted, funded and with wrong motives by vested interests".
These elements have investments in Hyderabad including in benami lands, he alleged but added wise leaders of both sides will find a solution.
Rao dubbed as a "foolish thing" the notion that separate Telangana could be delayed. "There are wise people from both the regions. They should sit together and sort out the issue".
Dismissing as a "cock and bull story" the need for an Assembly Resolution, he said the Centre only needed to inform the state Assembly. "There is no need for a resolution from the state Assembly. It is the formality of the Government of India to keep the state Assembly informed"
Asked whether there is any deadline for formation of separate Telangana, he merely said there was no deadline or hardline.
To a specific question how long he would wait?, he said that home minister P Chidambaram has clearly said that he was making the announcement on the issue on behalf of the Centre.
"It is a statement from Government of India. Government of India is Government of India. Once it takes a decision that becomes prestige of the Government to ensure that it is implemented".