Why Sonia Gandhi's Congress is upset with Telangana textbooks

The Congress in Telangana has condemned the non-inclusion in school textbooks of the role of party president Sonia Gandhi in the formation of the new state, accusing the K Chandrasekhara Rao-led Telangana Rashtra Samithi government of trying to hog all credit for it.

A chapter titled "The movement for the formation of Telangana state" has been included in this year's social studies text book for Class 10. However, the 14-page chapter showers praise only on Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao and his Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), said Uttam Kumar Reddy, president of Congress party's Telangana unit.

"This is a fascist tendency and demonstrates autocratic and dictatorial attitude of KCR. The Congress party will not tolerate this behaviour," he said, adding that the Telangana movement of over six decades was not confined to one individual and his party.

Party vice-president in Telangana, Mohammed Ali Shabbir, said KCR had stated in the Legislative Council that a separate Telangana state was not possible without Sonia and had assured the house that her contribution in the formation of Telangana will be included in the school syllabus. He said the Congress had been fighting for a separate state even before the TRS was formed.

Shabbir demanded that the TRS government revise the textbook and include the role played by Sonia and the Congress. Telangana was formed last year after Andhra Pradesh was bifurcated with Hyderabad being the residual capital for 10 years.