Rosaiah has T-talk with PM
Thursday, December 3rd, 2009 at 3:59 am
The fasting TRS president, Mr K. Chandrasekhar Rao, was forcibly administered saline on Wednesday even as he spurned a state emissary, the labour minister, Mr Ramireddy Venkata Reddy, who tried to talk to him out of his agitation.
The Chief Minister, Mr K. Rosaiah, who is in Delhi, also spoke to Mr Rao and later discussed the Telangana statehood agitation with the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh.
“He has asked me to tackle it in a sensitive manner,” Mr Rosaiah said, addingm a consensus on the issue had to emerge for Telangana to be given statehood.
Sources said the Congress central leadership had made inquiries with the Chief Minister about the situation, particularly Mr Rao’s condition. The high command expressed concern over the reports of his deteriorating health and wanted the CM to be tactful in handling the situation. Mr Rosaiah earlier asked Telangana ministers to persuade Mr Rao to give up his fast. On his instructions, the home minister, Ms Sabita Indra Reddy, called a meeting of ministers, which selected Mr Venkata Reddy.
However, Mr Rao turned down Mr Venkata Reddy’s request to withdraw his fast and told him curtly that he would discuss the issue with only those who could take a decision on Telangana.
“I greeted KCR with folded hands, but he did not reciprocate,” said the minister. “I felt sad. I requested him to speak to UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, but he refused.”
Doctors at the Government General Hospital at Khammam forcibly administered saline to Mr Rao after he turned weak. The district administration said that this was done as his health deteriorated and in view of the the State Human Rights Commission directions to save his life.
Police took into custody scores of protesting TRS and PDSU activists. Sporadic incidents of violence were reported from across Telangana on the fourth day.
Mr K.T. Rama Rao, Mr Rao’s son and TRS MLA, said that doctors had administered saline solution when nobody was present by his bedside and when he was weak. “It was a planned effort to malign him,” he said. However, he added that Mr Rao had not taken any food and the fast would continue. “People of Telangana region and students should understand the situation,” said Mr Rama Rao. “KCR is hell-bent on continuing the fast to achieve Telangana.”
Mr Chandrasekhar Rao’s son also criticised the government for refusing to shift him to Hyderabad or Warangal despite umpteen requests. “If something happens to him, the government will have to take the blame. Why is the government treating protagonists of Telangana like this? If this behaviour continues, Telangana will boil.”
Sources said police was against shifting Mr Chan Rao to Hyderabad or Warangal as it would defeat the very purpose of taking him to Khammam in the first place.
But officialdom is now waiting for Mr Rao to make his move. “He appears to be tense and irritated and we don’t want to make the first move since we don’t know what the response would be,” said a top official.
Mr Rosaiah is also in constant touch with the home minister, the chief secretary, Mr P. Ramakanth Reddy and the DGP, Mr R.R. Girish Kumar, on the issue.
Mr Rosaiah dismissed reports that law and order situation had gone out of control in the state and said there were only sporadic incidents in the Telangana region. He defended the arrest of Mr Chandraekhar Rao and pointed out that it was only meant to save his life. “We are not disturbing the agitation,” he said. In a related development, police took the TRS MLA, Mr Vinay Bhaskar, into custody from a studio of a TV channel in Warangal.(DC)
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