New Delhi, Sep 5 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) veteran Lal Krishna Advani on Wednesday said a separate Telangana state could have been created under National Democratic Alliance (NDA) rule between 1998 and 2004, had the other parties supported the government on this issue.
Advani said it was the BJP-led NDA that lived up to the expectations of the people of the country and made possible the creation of a separate state of Uttarakhand, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh.
"When I used to go as a member of the Bharatiya Jan Sangh to Uttar Pradesh, then people from Dehradun, Haridwar and many other places used to come to meet me and demanded the formation of a separate Uttarakhand. When I used to go to Bihar, the people there said that South Bihar has got nothing and so Jharkhand should be formed. When I used to go to Madhya Pradesh, the people there demanded Chhattisgarh," he said.
Advani recalled that the creation of a separate state of Uttarakhand, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh was possible after 1998 when the NDA came to power and he was assigned the job of the country's Home Minister.
"I used to tell that you will not get Uttarakhand, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh during Congress rule. I had then said that if we come to power, we will fulfill all your demands. I am saying this because our government was formed at the Centre in 1998, Vajpayeeji became the Prime Minister. He assigned me the job of the Home Minister. Today, when I go to these three states, people remember that I have made it possible for them," said Advani.
"I then think that I should have included Telangana in our list. But we did not include it because some parties were opposed to it. They, however, agreed on it later," he added.
The BJP veteran criticized the Congress Party for not creating a separate state of Telangana
"I remember that during the 2004 polls, the Congress spokespersons had said that they are in favour of Telangana. Soniaji (Sonia Gandhi) had herself said this, it was also mentioned in the party's manifesto. But they did not create Telangana," he said.
Advani also hit out at the UPA government over the 'Washington Post' report that has described Dr. Manmohan Singh as a silent Prime Minister, saying the UPA Government is at the Centre only for namesake.
He further predicted that corruption and the issue surrounding the formation of a separate Telangana state will be the two most important issues in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.
"Corruption will be the most important subject in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. And if they (the UPA Government) do not come up with the process for the formation of a separate Telangana state, then Telangana will be the second most important issue (in the polls)," he said.
Advani, who was addressing the BJP activists at the Jantar Mantar here, also congratulated the gathering for coming so far from the Telangana region to carry forward their protests at New Delhi.
"I have participated in every election since 1951 as a campaigner or either a candidate. So, I can say that the Telangana movement has been among those movements, which has been there since many long years. And many a times a lot of expectations have arisen," he added.
Supporters of Telangana statehood said that the interior region of the State had been neglected in favour of Andhra Pradesh's dominant coastal districts.
The chances of an immediate resolution, paving the way for the formation of Telangana appears slim, as most politicians are sharply divided within their own parties on this issue. (ANI)
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