Hyderabad: In a sharp attack on the Congress, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Friday alleged that the party “destroyed” the state and had a “negative attitude” towards it for which it should apologise to the people.

“Is it not Congress which destroyed Telangana? It is a curse since then, till today. It is like a ‘shani’ for Telangana,” he alleged.

“It was Sonia Gandhi who delayed (separate Telangana) for 14 years and became responsible for deaths of many,” he alleged.

That is the reason why Telangana people rejected the Congress, he told reporters here.

He alleged that Congress leaders adopted a negative attitude, trying to create hurdles for development initiatives of the state government.

Rao alleged that Congress leaders were behind a petition filed in the National Green Tribunal which imposed a stay on Kaleshwaram irrigation project works.

“Yesterday, the green tribunal gave a stay on Kaleswaram.

Who got it (stay)? Whole world knows that former deputy chief minister Damodar Rajanarsimha (of Congress) is behind it.

Whole world knows,” he alleged.

The Congress should apologise to the people for its attitude, he said.

Rao also spoke about the victory of Telangana Boggu Gani Karmika Sangham (TBGKS), affiliated to Rao’s TRS, in the election for the recognised trade union of state-run Singareni Collieries.

He recalled the success of the TRS in the bypolls for Narayanakhed assembly segment and Warangal and Medak Lok Sabha constituencies in the last couple of years, and said the victory of the TBGKS only reaffirmed the faith of Telangana people in the TRS.

He claimed that Telangana BJP president K Laxman said his party was the alternative to the TRS, but his party got only insignificant votes.

Rao also attacked Kodandaram, the chairman of Telangana Joint Action Committee (JAC), an outfit comprising different people’s organisations, for his criticism of the TRS government. The JAC was in the forefront of separate Telangana agitation.

He alleged Kodandaram was opposed to the TRS.

Replying to a query about Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan appealing to the state governments to reduce VAT on petrol and diesel, Rao said the matter was up to the wisdom of state governments.

“It is the wisdom of respective state governments to do so. Government of India can give advice. They can do it. I have seen the statement of Dharmendra Pradhan. He can advise the BJP chief ministers first,” he said.

To another query, he said the Goods and Services Tax (GST) was an “experiment” whose success or failure would be known later.

“GST is definitely an experiment. The experiment of GST, has it failed or successful, we cannot come to a conclusion at this point of time. May be too early to say whether it is a good scheme or a bad scheme. Only time will tell,” he said.

Rao said the TRS was not a part of the NDA to join the central government, adding that what happens after next elections cannot be said now.