New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
on Wednesday said the government was trying to arrive at a consensus
on the "complicated" Telangana statehood issue through
consultations with political parties, which should be allowed
to be pursued to its "logical conclusion".
Singh said Home Minister P Chidambaram will hold the
second round of consultations with political parties in Andhra
Pradesh on the report of the Justice Srikrishna Committee,
which has dealt with the contentious statehood demand.
"I think this is a complicated issue and we are trying to
evolve a consensus. The Home Minister had one round of meeting
with all the political parties. He will call these political
parties again because the first round was just for handing
them over the Srikrishna Committee report," he told television
editors during an interaction here.
Chidambaram had on January six held a meeting with
political parties from the state and handed over to them a
copy of the Srikrishna Committee report, which has favoured a
united Andhra Pradesh with constitutional and statutory powers
to the Telangana region.
"Now the (political parties) are studying it and after
that will come the phase of consultations with all political
parties who are active in Andhra Pradesh. That process must be
allowed to be pursued to its logical conclusion," he said.
"Now the (political parties) are studying it and after
that will come the phase of consultations with all political
parties who are active in Andhra Pradesh. That process must be
allowed to be pursued to its logical conclusion," he said.
When asked what would be the government`s stand if a
consensus is not arrived at, the Prime Minister said, "I can`t
answer that hypothetical question. We will cross the bridge
when we reach there."
PTI
