Telangana action committee expels Telugu Desam Party

HYDERABAD - The Telangana All Party Joint Action Committee (JAC) on Saturday expelled main opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) from the committee.

According to JAC convenor Kodandaram, the TDP was expelled as its legislators failed to resign from the Assembly as per the JAC decision.

Earlier, the JAC asked all elected representatives from Telangana region to quit their respective assembly and parliament positions in protest against terms of reference of the Srikrishna panel formed by the Union Government.

However, the arrest of JAC leaders during the visit of TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu to Mehabubnagar District and the recent attack by TDP activists on pro-Telangana lawyers triggered the expulsion.

Kodandaram alleged that Naidu was acting in an undemocratic fashion by refusing to apologise for the attack on lawyers and also getting the JAC leaders arrested during his visit.

“The TDP leaders from Telangana have also failed to speak out against this attitude of Naidu,” he said.

With the expulsion of TDP, the JAC now has only TRS and BJP as its political constituents.

Meanwhile, TDP leader, Venugopala Chary criticised the JAC’s decision saying it was taken under pressure from TRS.

He said TDP legislators were ready to resign for creating a constitutional crisis but not for causing by-elections.

“If Congress legislators had resigned we would also have submitted our resignations,” Venugopala Chary said.(ANI)