Former Finance Minister and Congress leader P. Chidambaram addressing a press conference, at Gandhi Bhavan in Hyderabad on November 16, 2023.
| Photo Credit: G. Ramakrishna
Former Union Minister and senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram ridiculed Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s statement that Congress was responsible for the demolition of Babri Masjid and termed it as an ‘Outstanding discovery of 2023.’
Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, he said this must be a some discovery, and everyone knows who demolished the Babri Masjid.
When questioned about KCR blaming Congress for merging Telangana with Andhra Pradesh earlier, Mr. Chidambaram said Mr. KCR was not a good student of history. He said AP was formed after a massive movement for creating a separate state for Telugu speaking people carving out areas from the Madras state. Telugu was the mother tongue of people from both the AP and Telangana regions too.
On the claims that Congress was responsible for the suicides of students for delaying Telangana, the former Union Home Minister said that creating a state was not a child’s play. We feel sorry for the lives lost but the Congress cannot be held responsible for those unfortunate deaths in a massive people’s movement. “What about the 4,000-odd suicides under KCR rule. Who is responsible for those deaths?” he asked.
Stating that Telangana was a reality because of the people’s movement, he said indicating that the new state was created based on movement led by the people and not individuals.
Mr. Chidambaram reminded how there was a massive uproar after Telangana was announced from the Andhra Pradesh region leading to the formation of the Sri Krishna Commission to look into every aspect of the people’s aspirations. After great amount of work and persuasion, the Telangana decision was announced and KCR also welcomed it.
Congress has many capable leaders
Taking a question on KCR’s criticism that there were too many Chief Ministerial aspirants in Congress, he said Congress was a democratic party and it would throw up leaders of talent. It is a good sign, unlike the BRS where only one person can rule. “The state will be safe in the hands of Congress that has several capable leaders,’ he said.
Not ‘excellent’ relations with MIM
Mr. Chidambaram did not agree with the view that the Congress had excellent relations with the MIM and said there were no ‘excellent’ relations. However, Mr. Asaduddin Owaisi’s father Salahuddin Owaisi, had supported Congress, he said.
