Don't delay Telangana decision, Congress lawmakers to high command

Ratcheting up pressure, Congress ministers and MPs from Telangana today asked the party high command not to further delay the formation of a separate state even as the party indicted that the consultation process at the national level will begin soon.

The lawmakers, who are camping in Delhi since yesterday to brief senior party leaders about the situation in the region, met party general secretary in-charge of Andhra Pradesh Ghulam Nabi Azad in the capital.

During the meeting, they apprised him of the "very tense" situation in Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh due to the agitation for a separate state.

"The consultation process at the state level is over. I will submit the report to high command by September 30 after that consultations at national level will begin," Azad said.

Asked how long it would take, he said, "I can't give you date and time. It will end as soon as possible"

The ministers and MPs told Azad that they would stay put in the capital till he submits the report.

Normal life in Telangana has been hit for the past 14 days due to strike imposed by the Joint Action Committee, which is spearheading the pro-statehood movement.

The ministers and MPs told Azad that an "early decision" on the contentious issue should be taken and that the Centre should stick to its December 9, 2009 statement that steps for the formation of a separate Telangana state would be initiated.

"We told him that the Centre should not go back on its decision to form a separate Telangana state. That promise has to be kept. People's aspirations should be respected and met with," a senior MP, who attended the meeting, said.

At the AICC briefing, party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi downplayed senior MP K Keshav Rao's critical comments against Home Minister P Chidambaram and Azad.

Singhvi merely said everybody should exercise "great restraint" as that would only help solve problems.