Chiranjeevi meets Chidambaram on Telangana issue

Actor-turned-politician Chiranjeevi, whose party Praja Rajyam is opposed to bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, today met home minister P Chidambaram and apprised him of the deteriorating law and order situation in the state.

Chiranjeevi requested the home minister to ensure that the current academic session of various universities is not affected by the agitation to carve out a separate Telangana.

"We requested him to ensure that students do not suffer due to the law and order problem. We also raised the issue of film shooting schedules going haywire due to the current tense situation prevailing in the state," Chiranjeevi told reporters after the meeting. He claimed that if tension continued to prevail film production houses would be forced to leave the state and open shops in Chennai.

Meanwhile, a group of Congress MPs and MLAs from the state opposing creation of Telangana also met Chidambaram. "We assured him that the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of 13 universities from coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalseema region has agreed to end the agitation.

"We also told him that they are interested in meeting the home minister for further dicussions," Congress MP K Sambha Shiva Rao, who was part of the delegation, told reporters.

Union minister D Purandeswari was also part of the delegation led by Andhra Pradesh minister Venkat Reddy.

Reddy said they discussed the prevailing law and order situation in the state and hoped that the pro- and anti-Telangana factions will find a peaceful solution. 

To a question on whether the Congress was a divided house over the issue of Telangana, Rao said the party had two view points and it would be incorrect to call it a divided house.

He said the representatives of JAC of Universities from non-Telangana region were already in Delhi for an appointment with the home minister.