New Delhi: The all-party meeting on the
Telangana issue on Tuesday failed to break any fresh ground with
parties divided on the creation of a separate state and
indications emerged that there could be further discussions.
Protagonists of separate Telangana K Chandrasekhar Rao
of TRS and BJP's Bandaru Dattareya demanded that the Centre
take immediate steps for formation of the new state while
Praja Rajyam chief Chiranjeevi made it clear that his party
was for a united Andhra Pradesh.
The actor-turned-politician said he favoured
constitution of a committee for the involvement of all groups
to go into the issue. BJP opposed any further consultation.
Rao, who is at the centre of the pro-Telangana
campaign, said he was waiting for Centre's response.
Home Minister P Chidambaram, who talked to reporters
after a meeting that lasted over four hours with leaders of
eight political parties in Andhra Pradesh, admitted as much
when he said it was quiet clear that parties were divided on
the issue.
"It appears to me that no one is opposed to further
consultations with other groups and stakeholders. Should such
consultations become necessary, they were keen that it should
be concluded within a reasonable time frame," he said.
Chidambaram said he told the leaders that he would take
these views to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his senior
cabinet colleagues and "I will come up with a decision or a
statement of the government."
The leaders came out with a brief joint statement in
which they appealed that peace, harmony and law and order
should be maintained in the state.
Dattatreya insisted that the Centre should come out with
a separate Telangana bill in the Budget session of Parliament.
Chandrasekhar Rao's son K T Rama Rao told reporters that
his party was satisfied with the way the meeting was
conducted. "The meeting was conducted in an orderly fashion.
Everyone was given an opportunity to convey his views. We are
satisfied."
Majlis MP Asaduddin Owaissi suggested a high-powered
committee of senior bureaucrats or national leaders to go into
the future of Andhra Pradesh and give its finding within a
definite time frame so that a lasting solution could be found
out to the satisfaction of all the three regions in the state.
In the meanwhile, he favoured imposition of President's
rule in the state as there was no governance at the moment.
Earlier in his opening statement, Chidambaram made it
that the agenda of the meeting was to "deliberate on the
mechanism and lay down a road map for consultations".
Appealing to the leaders to show accommodation and
goodwill and help the Centre find a solution, Chidambaram
indicated that the Maoists would be happy if the political
parties fail to hammer out a solution.
"I wish to caution all political parties that there are
forces waiting on the wings who ridicule the parliamentary
form of democracy and who would be happy if we collectively
fail to find answers to the issues that concern us, and we
should not give any room for these forces to gain strength or
credence," Chidambaram said.
On the raging controversy over Centre's two
statements on Telangana, he said there were a number of
misconceptions surrounding the issue.
"There is a misconception that the Central government
acted in a haste; that the political parties were not
consulted; and that I, as Home Minister, acted as an
individual.
"As you are all well aware, none of these
misconceptions is supported by facts, but I shall not waste
your time refuting these misconceptions," he said.
Chidambaram said the first statement of the Centre on
initiating the process for Telangana was made on the basis of
the minutes of the all party meeting held in Hyderabad on
December 7.
He said it was true that the situation on the ground
has altered significantly since then and taking note of that
the Centre promised to hold wide ranging consultations with
all political parties and groups in the state.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, January 05, 2010, 18:11