Hyderabad, Jan 1 (IANS) Senior leaders of the Congress party from Telangana region Friday warned Chief Minister K. Rosaiah that they would not keep quiet if any action was taken against state minister K. Venkat Reddy, who has accused the chief minister of opposing the Telangana demand.
Rosaiah has already complained to the party’s central leadership against Venkat Reddy, the information technology minister, for alleging that he was acting in a partisan manner on the Telangana issue.

Former minister and legislator R. Damodar Reddy defended Venkat Reddy.

“We will not keep quiet if any action is taken against Venkat Reddy. Four crore people of Telangana are behind him,” said Damodar Reddy, a key party figure fighting for statehood to Telangana region.

He criticised Rosaiah for claiming that industries were moving to other states because of the agitation in Telangana.

He said by refusing to withdraw their resignations, Venkat Reddy and Minister for Higher Education Sridhar Babu had proved that Telangana was more important for them than their posts.

The remaining 11 ministers from the region Thursday withdrew their resignations, expressing satisfaction with the steps taken by the central government to carve out Telangana state.

Refusing to take back his resignation, Venkat Reddy alleged that Rosaiah, who hails from Andhra region, was targeting the Telangana movement by linking it to fears among industrialists and the film industry. He also took objection to the chief minister’s remark that Maoists had infiltrated the movement.

Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member K. Keshava Rao also criticised Rosaiah for not taking action to withdraw cases against those participating in the Telangana movement despite the announcement by union Home Minister P. Chidambaram on Dec 9.

Keshava Rao said it was unbecoming of a chief minister to say that the state governor would take action on every issue. He pointed out that law and order is a state subject and reminded Rosaiah that the state is not under President’s Rule.

Rosaiah has drawn flak from both the opposition and his own party members over E.S.L. Narasimhan, who took over as governor recently, reportedly holding review meetings on law and order situation.

Another senior Congress leader and former minister from Telangana, Jana Reddy has criticised Rosaiah by terming as “false” his claims that industries were moving out to other states due to the Telangana agitation.