PM Says Nothing Will Be Done in Haste on Telangana Issue
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said that nothing will be done in hast on the creation of a separate Telangana state, said senior Congress leader KS Rao.
Rao met the prime minister with a delegation of Congress MP from non-Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh amid protest against Centre’s decision in Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema.
In talks running for 40 minutes, Singh assured the delegation that nothing would be done in a hurry in the matter.
About Home Minister P Chidambaram’s statement on the issue, Rao said that it was nothing new but a reiteration of the old stand of the Congress and the Centre.
“He (Chidambaram) only said that the process will be started by asking the state assembly to move a resolution,” Rao said.
He said the process was already on as a party committee under chief minister K Rosaiah was formed in February this year to look into the demand.
The people of coastal Andhra and Rayalseema, he said, were “provoked” as there was some misunderstanding on the statement of the home minister.
Describing the situation as ‘very, very serious’, he said that they were finding it difficult to go back to their constituencies because of the ‘sentiments of the people for a unified Andhra Pradesh’.
Rao said that the government and the Congress should console the people of Andhra Pradesh by giving a clarification (on the statement of Chidambaram).
He also criticized TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao saying that he had lost support of the people and indicated that Maoists and anti-social elements, amongst others could be behind the move for creation of a separate state.
During the meeting, the party MPs gave a picture of the situation in the state to the Prime Minister and also the resignation of many MLAs of all parties.
Minister of State for Defence, M M Pallam Raju said there was a meeting on Telengana issue sometime back where all parties in the state assured support for a separate state.
However, when the announcement was made MLAs from across all parties resigned in protest which is an indication that there is no consensus.
Referring to the meeting with the PM, Raju said, “He has taken note of our sentiments”.
Party MP Subbirami Reddy said that one has to consider all aspects.
He also said that there was nothing new in the statement of the home minister.
