The Praja Rajyam Party yesterday told the BN Srikrishna committee, appointed by the Centre to resolve the Telangana issue, that it favours a united Andhra Pradesh. The Communist Party of India (CPI) said it favours grant of statehood to the region.
"We have presented our views in support of a united Andhra Pradesh to the Srikrishna committee with facts and figures. We
have explained the loss that would occur if the state is divided," party president Chiranjeevi told reporters.
"We have also told them how the separatists are spreading falsehoods over various factors like irrigation and other resources," Chiranjeevi said.
"The committee members said they will ascertain the truth over various issues and get back to us," he said.
CPI state secretary K Narayana and other party leaders also met the committee later and presented their case for the formation of a separate Telangana.
The committee had heard the views of TRS president K
Chandrasekhar Rao in New Delhi earlier.
Asked about Rao's reported remark that there will be "civil war" if statehood is not granted to Telangana, Srikrishna said it was natural for political parties to express strong views.
"He is bound to say strong things," the retired Supreme Court justice said. "I am sure if you go to the other end of the state, people will say strong things there also."
Srikrishna said the committee would hear the views of the CPI(M) tomorrow and meet the ruling Congress and the opposition Telugu Desam Party on May 6 and 7.
"Thereafter, we will be meeting different kinds of people. This process will continue till the end of June. Again in July, we will have another round of meetings. Then we will sit down to analyse the data that we have collected and to take a decision to convey to the government," he said.
Asked why the views of political parties were being sought when most of them are divided on regional lines on the issue, Srikrishna said the committee was prepared to deal with the problem.
"Each party can have its own total view, its own fractional view. Now, which of them needs to be given what weightage is itself a problem we have to face and we will be facing it. We will sort it out," he said.
Replying to a query, he said the aim of the panel is to see that every person in the state is happy and in pursuit of that objective, the committee would take every factor into consideration.
The committee has got an encouraging response from various groups and people so far, he said. Two members of the panel —
Abu Saleh Sharif and Ravinder Kaur — have conducted field visits in Mahbubnagar and Kurnool districts.
