New Delhi: In an embarrassment to the
Congress, 10 party MPs from Telangana region in Andhra
Pradesh, who have tendered their resignation on the separate
statehood issue, on Monday decided not to attend the Monsoon
session of Parliament in protest against non-formation of a
separate state.
The MPs, including senior party leader K Keshav Rao,
stayed away from attending the opening day of Parliament today
and decided to boycott the entire session.
They were closeted at Rao`s residence for the whole
day, waiting for a call from Congress General Secretary
in-charge of Andhra Pradesh Ghulam Nabi Azad for further
consultations on the issue.
Karimnagar MP Ponnam Prabhakar said the Telangana
Congress MPs who have resigned their posts will not attend the
entire Monsoon session.
"We want a separate Telangana state. That is our only
demand. So, we are not attending Parliament," he said.
Two TDP MPs, who have resigned over the issue, also
stayed away from attending the opening day of the session.
While 9 Congress MPs are from Lok Sabha, Rao is from
Rajya Sabha. Congress has 12 MPs in Lok Sabha from the
Telangana region.
The MPs resigned on July 4 in protest against the
Centre`s delay in announcing the formation of a Telangana
state, but Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar and Rajya Sabha
Chairman Hamid Ansari have not yet taken any decision on them.
Meanwhile, a group of tribal leaders and Congress MLAs
from tribal regions met Azad and demanded a separate state.
PTI
