YSR Congress party president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy has definitely disappointed many people, including this writer, with his ambivalent statement on the contentious Telangana issue.
Those who watched his “so-called policy statement” on the Telangana wondered whether he was any different from the Congress and the Telugu Desam Party. He chose the occasion only to attack the Centre for dodging on the state bifurcation, while criticizing TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu for his “double-tongue” statements.
At the same time, Jagan also could not take any different stand.
There is no strength in his statement that YSR Congress party has the capacity neither to bring Telangana state nor oppose it, as everybody knows only the Centre has such a power. But as a responsible political party, he should have taken a firm view on such an issue.
Though his party leaders have been saying all these days that Jagan would take a clear stand on it, he simply tried to run away from it, saying it was a sensitive issue.
What is worse, he even admitted that he had to speak in the language of Telangana when he goes there and speak in support of united Andhra when goes to Seemandhra region. Does it not mean he is also following the two-eyed policy?
If Jagan had to behave like a matured politician, he should have at least followed his father Y S Rajasekhara Reddy’s words: “I am not against the bifurcation of the state and if the Centre takes such a decision, I am not going to come in the way of it.”
Had Jagan made this statement, his credibility would have gone up in Telangana region.
But he simply said: “I respect the sentiment of Telangana people.”
Does it convince the people that he is for Telangana? For that matter, even die-hard integrationist like Lagadapati Rajagopal also admitted the strong Telangana sentiment and that he would respect it. Even Praja Rajyam Party president-turned-Congress leader Chiranjeevi said he would respect the Telangana sentiment. But both of them stuck to their united Andhra stand.
In a way, they are much better than Jagan in having clarity of thought.
In any case, Jagan has floored a golden chance to make an entry into the Telangana region and expand his party base. With his vague statement, he would not be pleasing the Telangana people at all!
Written By Srinivas
