Telangana movement may turn violent, warns Congress MP

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A prominent Congress MP from Andhra Pradesh's Telangana region has warned that the feeling of betrayal and hurt among people there may give a violent turn to the movement for statehood and cautioned his party against waiting till the next elections.

Madhu Goud Yaskhi, 51, wants the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government in New Delhi to take cognisance of the situation.

"They should take into account the actual situation and form the state as soon as possible," Yaskhi, who left a flourishing law practice in New York to take to active politics in 2004, told in an interview.

The MP, who is representing the Nizamabad constituency for the second successive term, does not agree that the movement has died down with the withdrawal of ‘Sakula janula samme’ or mass strike in October last year and believes it will bounce back strongly.

"It just needs a spark to re-ignite. If anyone thinks the movement has died down, it is his wishful thinking. You will see much more. We only hope it will not turn violent."

Yaskhi said as a lawmaker who spends most of his time in his constituency and knows the people's pulse, he felt people are not ready to wait till 2014.

"It appears the centre is right now not in favour of Telangana. The Congress wants to continue till 2014 because it feels dividing the state is not a solution."

"Unless the party in power makes a decision in favour of Telangana, it will not have political benefit in the region," cautions Yaskhi, who still believes party chief Sonia Gandhi would keep her word on Telangana and fulfil the promise made in the manifesto.

Terming the ‘sakula janula samme's’ failure as the tactical mistake of the Joint Action Committee, Yaskhi said the agitation was controlled by the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and lacked the involvement of other parties and various sections of people.

"Telangana is bound to come. It is only a question of now or later. UPA (United Progressive Alliance) or NDA (National Democratic Alliance), whoever forms Telangana, will get the support of the people," he added.

Yaskhi said lack of unity is the main drawback of the movement.

"Everybody wants Telangana, but nobody is keen on resolving it," he said, alleging that TRS is only interested in increasing its numbers in the assembly.

Yaskhi also wants the Congress leadership to take note of the "dangerous situation" emerging in the region with the gains by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

"The BJP was completely lost in Telangana but now they are gaining," he said referring to the huge success of the party's recent yatra.