BRS rejects Chidambaram apology for Telangana stir loss of lives

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram has apologised for the loss of lives during the Telangana statehood agitation, drawing sharp reactions from the ruling BRS.

Speaking to media persons in Hyderabad on Thursday, the former Union Minister also said creating a state or dividing a state was not child’s play and it was done in response to people’s movement.

Reacting to Chidambaram’s remarks, BRS leader and Minister K T Rama Rao said it was already too late. Describing suicide as an ‘unfortunate incident’, Chidambaram said, “If in the people’s movement, some persons lost their lives in the agitation… we are sorry for that. But you can’t hold the (then) Central government responsible for that.”

He was responding to the accusation of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao that the previous UPA government had delayed the formation of Telangana resulting in loss of lives.

The Congress veteran further said Telangana was formed in response to the people’s movement. In a post on “X”, BRS working president Rama Rao said, “Too late and Too little Chidambaram Ji.. Your party is solely responsible for taking the lives of hundreds of Telangana youngsters from 1952-2014. No matter how hard you try now, people of Telangana will always remember the brutalities Congress perpetrated on us.”

Chidambaram, however, alleged that over 4,000 suicides were reported in Telangana under K Chandrasekhar Rao-led BRS government and sought to know who was responsible for it.

“A state is created after a movement like original Andhra Pradesh was created. A state is divided in response to people’s movement. If some lives have been lost we are sorry for that. But what about the 4,000 odd suicides in Telangana under KCR’s government. Who is responsible for those suicides?” he asked.

During his poll rallies, Rao had charged Congress with delaying the formation of Telangana.

Though the previous UPA government agreed to the formation of Telangana after he began an indefinite fast, it went back on its word. Later, the UPA government fulfilled its promise only after massive protests, he had claimed.

Rao also blamed the Congress for the deaths during the statehood agitation and said the grand old party delayed its approval for a new state. Chidambaram further said Rao emerged as a prominent leader of that movement and that is why he is the Chief Minister today.

With inputs from News18