Shinde not for state division, says Gade: Gade

Congress senior leader and staunch supporter of Samaikyandhra movement Gade Venkat Reddy, on Monday made it clear that Union Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde had not said that the Congress Party was in favour of a separate state.

Addressing a press conference in Hyderabad, he said he would quit politics if anybody proves that Shinde asserted that the Centre favoured division of the state. "I have argued in favour of a united state and Suresh Reddy for Telangana state," he said adding that some section of the media had twisted the facts.

He also said that TRS, TDP and CPI were resorting to opportunistic politics by changing their stand of the issue.

Taking strong exception to Gade's comments, PCC chief Botsa Satyanarayana derided the statements. He faulted Gade's view that Congress Party had expressed two opinions on Telangana. However, he hoped that the Centre would take a decision on the issue in a month.

- Sakshipost