Read: Jagan and Naidu's previous letters supporting Telangana

Seeking to come clear on its decision to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh, Congress on Tuesday released letters submitted by both Chandrababu Naidu’s Telugu Desam Party and Jaganmohan Reddy’s YSR Congress, expressing their support for the formation of Telangana. Congress General Secretary and party in-charge of Andhra Pradesh Digvijaya Singh on Tuesday questioned the ‘complete u-turn’ by both the politicians terming it ‘amazing political oportunism’. [caption id=“attachment_1161551” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Congress General Secretary Digvijaya Singh. PTI[/caption] In his letter dated 18 October 2008, Naidu wrote to then Minister of External Affairs Pranab Mukherjee expressing his party’s support to the formation of a separate Telangana state. “The Politburo of the Telegu Desam Party has discussed thoroughly on the conclusions arrived at by the Core Committee and agreed with its recommendations in favour of formation of a separate Telangana State,” the letter had said.

Similarly, YSR Congress had on 28 December 2012, written to Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde expressing support for Telangana but said the government should ensure no injustice is done to anyone. “As per the decision taken… we reiterate that our party respects sentiments of the people of Telangana… All we request from you is a solution acceptable to all without injustice to any one taking into consideration all aspects and problems, at the earliest, in a fair, just and equitable manner as a father would do,” the letter signed by MV Mysura Reddy and KK Mahender Reddy had said.

Both party chiefs have gone on an indefinite strike against the government’s decision to bifurcate the state. Protesting in Hyderabad, Reddy had said that the Congress was not interested in the welfare of the state and alleged that Sonia Gandhi bifurcated Andhra in a political move to see her son as the next prime minister. “Sonia Gandhi is responsible for the crisis in the state and she has been playing with the sentiments of people with the singular motive of seeing to it that her son Rahul Gandhi is made prime minister,” Jagan had said, adding that he will challenge the cabinet decision in the Supreme Court. Jagan’s mother YS Vijayamma also denied that her party ever supported the creation of the state. “These are all baseless lies. Our party’s stand was made clear in the letter we had written to the Home Minister in December 2012 where in we had clearly stated that we respect the sentiments of the people of Telangana, but wanted the Centre to find a solution acceptable to all, taking into consideration all aspects and problems in a fair, just and equitable manner as a father would do,” she said according to this report in the Indian Express. Naidu, who is on an indefinite fast in the national capital, hit out at Singh saying his own party was divided on the issue. What about Congress, I ask. You have sacrificed your own party and your leaders in Andhra Pradesh for YSR Congress. Even your CM is opposing the bifurcation. If they can’t convince their own people, what right do they have to attack TDP? They have no moral right". He has, however, refused to make his stand on the issue clear. Speaking to the media, Naidu had on Tuesday said he wanted the government to call for another all-party meeting and sort out differences among agitated parties. “They (Congress party) are treating Andhra Pradesh issue as the internal affair of the party. They are interested in politics, not governance or state or people. They are saying everything in terms of politics. Things are becoming worse day by day.”