It has been decade since the formation of a separate state of Telangana. The Congress government is going to celebrate the 10th anniversary on June 2. But the official invitation of Sonia Gandhi to these celebrations became a controversy.
State Cabinet has decided to hold the 10th anniversary celebrations of Telangana state formation on a grand note on June 2 and will invite former Congress president Sonia Gandhi to the celebrations. Heads of the State government believe that she was the key person for granting statehood to Telangana in 2014 by then UPA government at the Centre, fulfilling the six-decade long dream of the people.
Cabinet decision to honor Sonia Gandhi:
As per the Cabinet decision, those who played a key role in Telangana agitation will also be felicitated on the occasion. Former chief minister & supreme of Bharata Rastra Samithi (BRS) K. Chandrashekar Rao will also be invited for the celebrations. The Cabinet has also decided to seek the Election Commission’s permission to hold state formation day celebrations since election code will be in force in the state till June 4.
Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka moved a resolution seeking approval for inviting Sonia Gandhi which was unanimously approved. He said the people of Telangana state dreamt and fought for statehood for six decades but it was Congress and Sonia Gandhi which made this dream a reality in 2014. "Sonia Gandhi's presence will make 10th anniversary celebrations of Telangana state formation complete and meaningful. Sonia Gandhi promised to grant statehood and fulfilled it braving all odds. All those who played a key role in statehood agitation will also be invited and felicitated on the occasion," State I & PR minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy said while he was briefing the Cabinet decisions to the media.
Congress plan to benefit from Telangana sentiment:
When media persons asked whether the government would also invite former Chandrashekar Rao for celebrations, minister Sridhar Babu said, "We will invite all. We don't have any inhibitions." Asked about the previous BRS government already holding decennial celebrations of Telangana state formation for 21 days from June 2 to 22 last year, Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy said, "Everyone knows why the BRS celebrated 10th state formation day celebrations last year. It was to gain political mileage in Assembly elections last year. In fact, Telangana state will complete 10 years on June 2 this year and not last year."
Telangana movement.. 1969 to 2014:
From 1969 Telangana separate state movement was running. In fact, the role of Congress leaders in this movement cannot be underestimated. But all this time Congress party is mostly in power at the Centre. There were number of atrocities committed by the then rulers to suppress this movement. Thousands lost their lives in agitations and police action. Thousands of youth have committed suicide due to severe delay in the formation of a separate state. Congress party to answer for all these sins!.
How Sonia Related to Telangana Separate State?:
No one has any objection to organizing Telangana state formation day grandly. However, objections are rising on the fact that the government has officially inviting Sonia Gandhi and wants to honor her.
Union Minister and Telangana BJP president G Kishan Reddy took strong exception to the Congress government’s decision to invite its top leader Sonia Gandhi for the proposed state formation day celebrations on June 2. He said that during the Telangana movement in 1969, when the Congress was in power, as many as 369 students died in police firing. During the second phase of the Telangana statehood agitation, about 1,500 youths sacrificed their lives and all the people of Telangana took to streets for a separate state, he added.
Now after 10 years, the Congress is in power in Telangana and they are saying they will invite Sonia Gandhi and felicitate her, saying she is the one who granted the people of Telangana a separate state, Kishan Reddy said. “Sonia Gandhi did not give Telangana…it (statehood for Telangana) was achieved by the people of Telangana. It is the people of Telangana who sacrificed and took part in agitations,” Kishan Reddy said.
Kishan Reddy sought to know from the Congress government how it could invite a political leader for a government function. “Sonia Gandhi is a leader of the Congress party. How can you invite her to a government function? If you want to invite her, then invite and felicitate her at the Congress party’s office. We don’t have any objection to that,” he said.
He demanded that the Congress government clarify to the people about its invitation to Sonia Gandhi for the official function.
