New Delhi, December 22
As storm over Telangana statehood issue raged on, the Congress top brass held meetings to find a way out of the worsening situation after two warring groups - pro-Telengana and United Andhra - separately met senior party leaders to argue their viewpoints.
The pro-Telengana MPs met Congress President Sonia Gandhi’s political secretary Ahmed Patel to lay stress on the point that if the party now went back on its Telangana promise it could face “serious repercussions” in the state.
In their meeting with Patel the United Andhra group reiterated the demand for a statement by the government which would help in “appeasing sentiments of people of their constituencies”. They contended that a “clarification” by the government was necessary to bring the sensitive situation under control.
The pro-Telangana group, comprising MPs and MLAs from the area, is also understood to have written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi saying that any dilution of party’s stand on the issue could have “serious repercussions”.
The pro-Telangana group, which till now has been maintaining a relatively low-profile as compared to a more vocal “United Andhra” group of MPs from coastal Andhra and Rayalseema, said they were “ready to resign and join the movement for a separate Telangana state”. “If needed, we are also ready to quit our posts and join the movement for creation of Telangana,” an MP said on condition of anonymity. The letter assumes significance after “United Andhra” group yesterday claimed that Prime Minister had given an assurance that a decision on the contentious issue “will be taken in a day or two”.
The pro-Telangana is also understood to have alleged that protests against the formation of a separate Telengana state were “not spontaneous” but “orchestrated by vested interests”. They are understood to have complained that Reddy brothers of Karnataka G Janardhana Reddy and G Karunakara Reddy and some “influential” Congress leaders were behind anti-Telangana protests in Andhra and Rayalaseema regions.
Patel later held discussions with Defence Minister AK Antony and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee. Sources said
the party was now contemplating forming a coordination committee to tackle the situation arising out of the political crisis in Andhra and somehow cool tempers.
So can a decision on the Telangana issue be expected today? While the government may issue a statement if Congress core group meets late in night, sources say a committee, where both sides can individually advocate their cases, now appear to be the best bet to ensure that the issue remains on backburner for some time. Senior leaders, who have been meeting political leaders from Andhra Pradesh, have maintained that nothing would be done in haste and a “consensus” was important.
Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday night held two-hour deliberations with members of party core group, including Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Home Minister P Chidambaram, Defence Minister A K Antony, Law Minister M Veerappa Moily and Congress president Political Secretary Ahmed Patel.
While MPs from coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema regions say they have an assurance from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that he would hold discussions with his Cabinet colleagues and try to find a solution to the Telangana issue, pro-Telangana MPs say the demand for a separate Telangana state is 50 years old and it is a people’s movement.
