IANS/New Delhi

The Congress Party yesterday defending the move to create a Telangana state and said all political parties except the Communist Party of India (Marxist) had supported breaking up Andhra Pradesh.
“During an all-party meeting on Telangana, every party except the CPM supported the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh,” Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh, who is in charge of the party’s affairs in the southern state, said.
His remark came shortly after Telugu Desam Party chief N Chandrababu Naidu began a hunger strike here demanding that Andhra Pradesh not be broken up.
Digvijaya Singh said he has a letter written by Naidu in support of Telangana.
Taking note of widespread violence and protests against the state’s bifurcation, Digvijaya Singh sought to assure the people of Seemandhra (as the other two regions of Rayalseema and costal Andhra are collectively known), that issues like security, education and employment in Hyderabad would be taken care of.
“Assure all Seemandhra people of their genuine concern of security in H’bad Education, Health Employment and package for Development,” he said in a Twitter post.
But Naidu accused the Congress of playing politics over Telangana. He, however, did not clarify if he was in favour of a separate state or a united Andhra Pradesh, saying just he wanted “justice” for both.
“We want justice for the people in both areas,” he said.
Asked which side his party was on, he evaded a straight answer. “If you have two children, who would you choose?”
Naidu accused the Congress of dividing the people.
“The Congress Party is playing total politics on the issue. They don’t care if the common people suffer, they want to collect maximum votes,” the former Andhra Pradesh chief minister said.
Naidu said Andhra Pradesh is in a state of “immobilismo” (Italian for being immobile).
“I am using Italian language because it may be easier for the Congress government here to understand,” he said.
The reference was to the Italy-born Congress chief Sonia Gandhi.
Naidu complained that the central government held no discussions with other political parties on the decision.
“Why are they not calling an all-party meeting? Is this an internal decision of the Congress?” he asked.
“Democracy means if there are problems, they have to be debated, discussed and there must be some deliberations and ultimately they have to find some solutions.”
Naidu’s fast at the Andhra Bhavan here comes as YSR Congress leader Y S Jaganmohan Reddy is sitting on an indefinite fast in Hyderabad for a united Andhra Pradesh.
The Bharatiya Janata Party too accused the Congress of playing politics.
“The Congress is playing politics over the Telangana issue to arrange votes. It uses the CBI (Central Bureau o Investigation) to get allies. This is not good for the country,” BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain told reporters.
The BJP which supports the demand for a separate Telangana urged the government to handle the issue with care and appealed for peace in the region.
Meanwhile, most parts of Seemandhra remained without power while several trains were cancelled for the second day yesterday as electricity employees continued their indefinite strike.