Telangana JAC expels TDP

After three days of deliberations,the Telangana Joint Action Committee (JAC) has expelled Telugu Desam Party (TDP) with which it had developed serious differences....

After three days of deliberations,the Telangana Joint Action Committee (JAC) has expelled Telugu Desam Party (TDP) with which it had developed serious differences.

JAC convenor M Kodandaram said that the TDP has been expelled primarily because its MLAs from Telangana refused to resign in support of the separate state demand. The meeting which decided to expel the TDP was attended by TRS president K Chandrasekhara Rao. The TDP camp,headed by party president N Chandrababu Naidu,alleged that the party was expelled under pressure from the TRS. There is a hidden agenda of the TRS in forcing the JAC to expel us, Naidu said.

Kodandaram said on Saturday that the recent attack on pro-Telangana lawyers by TDP activists forced the JAC to take the decision. Naidu is being unfair and undemocratic by refusing to apologise for the attack on lawyers. TDPs Telangana MLAs also did not protest his actions. We had no option but to expel the party, he said.

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TDPs Telangana Forum convenor Nagam Janardhan Reddy issued a statement that the TDP was surprised that it was expelled. We have no regrets and we shall continue our fight for a separate Telangana in our own way. The JAC itself has become very weak now with only TRS and BJP left as its members, Reddy said.

The Congress had quit the JAC last month accusing Kodandaram of forcing Telangana MLAs to quit to prove their support to the cause and to oppose the terms and reference given to the Srikrishna Committee. The Congress had also accused the JAC of taking decisions at the behest of TRS.