The issue of Telangana continues to attract attention at national and international forums. While it was Union Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad who caused ripples by addressing media persons on the Telangana issue in Beijing recently, it is now the turn of the BJP president Nitin Gadkari to provide it the much needed international fragrance.

Gadkari, now on a visit to the UK, spoke at length on the Telangana issue in a meeting of the Telangana Development Forum of the UK in London on Sunday.

Assuring that the BJP’s 165 MPs will stand for Telangana and support the Telangana Bill whenever it is introduced in the Parliament, Gadkari lambasted the congress leadership for not caring to solve the issue even after 143 MLAs and MLCs had resigned for the sake of Telangana. “Congress is showing its immaturity in handling the issue even after so many people’s representatives resigned,” he said.

Stating that BJP is committed to have smaller states, the BJP president said that the congress party had promised Telangana in 2004 and 2007 but has not cared to keep its promise. “But we are with you and we will help you in carving out the separate state of Telangana,” he said.