Don`t delay Telangana decision: Cong lawmakers

Ratcheting up pressure, Congress Ministers and MPs from Telangana asked the party high command not to further delay the formation of a separate state.

New Delhi: Ratcheting up pressure, Congress
Ministers and MPs from Telangana today asked the party high
command not to further delay the formation of a separate state
even as the party indicted that the consultation process at
the national level will begin soon.

The lawmakers, who are camping here since yesterday to
brief senior party leaders about the situation in the region,
met party general secretary in-charge of Andhra Pradesh Ghulam
Nabi Azad here.

During the meeting, they apprised him of the "very tense"
situation in Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh due to the
agitation for a separate state.

"The consultation process at the state level is over. I
will submit the report to high command by September 30 after
that consultations at national level will begin," Azad said.
Asked how long it would take, he said, "I can`t give you
date and time. It will end as soon as possible"

The Ministers and MPs told Azad that they would stay put
in the capital till he submits the report.

Normal life in Telangana has been hit for the past 14
days due to strike imposed by the Joint Action Committee,
which is spearheading the pro-statehood movement.

The Ministers and MPs told Azad that an "early decision"
on the contentious issue should be taken and that the Centre
should stick to its December 9, 2009 statement that steps for
the formation of a separate Telangana state would be
initiated.
"We told him that the Centre should not go back on its
decision to form a separate Telangana state. That promise has
to be kept. People`s aspirations should be respected and met
with," a senior MP, who attended the meeting, said.

At the AICC briefing, party spokesman Abhishek Singhvi
downplayed senior MP K Keshav Rao`s critical comments against
Home Minister P Chidambaram and Azad.

Singhvi merely said everybody should exercise "great
restraint" as that would only help solve problems.

PTI

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