Hyderabad: Congress would hold a meeting of
its MPs, MLAs and other public representatives on December 29
to discuss its participation in the Joint Action Committee
(JAC) formed to spearhead agitation for separate Telangana.
"We have to discuss the size of the JAC. Ours is a
national party. We have 13 ministers, 12 MPs, 70 MLAs and
MLCs. We are meeting on December 29 to discuss how to
participate in the JAC," senior Congress MLA R Damodar Reddy
told reporters.
Congress leaders from Telangana region want the Centre to
stick to its earlier statement to initiate the process for the
formation of a separate state.
"We are asking them to give a time-frame for formation of
Telangana state," he said.
Reddy found fault with the demand of his party colleague
from Rayalaseema region J C Diwakar Reddy to make Hyderabad a
Union Territory in the event of the division of the state.
"Hyderabad is an indivisible part of Telangana and
Diwakar Reddy should not provoke people by making demands like
declaring the city as a Union Territory," he said.
Expressing confidence that Congress president Sonia
Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would grant statehood
to Telangana, he said Congress legislators from Telangana are
trying to convince the top leadership on the need to announce
formation of the separate state.
PTI
First Published: Sunday, December 27, 2009, 17:47