Addressing the media at Andhra Bhavan after his meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday, the chief minister said he had never insulted the Telangana sentiment either. Flanked by state and Union ministers, Kiran Kumar Reddy denied that there was any change in his attitude on the bifurcation issue. "I have been opposing the division of the state. If the state is divided, Telangana will suffer more than Seemandhra. Therefore, there is no change in my stand," he said.
Replying to a volley of questions on the bifurcation issue, the CM said no two states in the country have a 300 km long river as border. "We have to divide the water along a length of 300 km when the irrigation projects are shared by the two states. In case there are floods of the magnitude that was witnessed in 2009, the loss of property and lives would be severe if the bifurcation takes place," he said.
When asked if he was not hurting the sentiments of the Telangana people by his repeated espousal of the Seemandhra cause, Kiran Kumar Reddy said: "I am not against the demand for Telangana state. I honour their sentiments. What I have been stating is that if the state remains united, it would be more beneficial for both the regions. If the state is bifurcated, it would be the people of Telangana who would be at the receiving end rather than the Seemandhra region," the CM said.
Before going ahead with the division of the state, a lot many problems need to be resolved, he said. "Many more issues will crop up in the coming days. They include the issues related to article 371 D, education, medical facilities, employees problems, and of the people residing in Hyderabad," he said.
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