New Delhi, December 28
Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde today said a decision on a separate statehood for Telangana would be taken within a month. He said this after meeting with representatives of eight political parties from Andhra Pradesh here this morning.

Shinde, while interacting with mediapersons, said he had “carefully” heard the opinions of eight political parties from the state. “I will brief the government on the outcome of the meeting and within one month we will come out with a result. Within one month, there will be a decision.”

The Home Minister said: “I appeal to the youth to remain peaceful. The government is taking a decision and it will be a good one.”

Shinde said it was an “in-camera hearing” and the final decision would be taken on the basis of the opinions expressed at the meeting.

Two representatives each from the Congress, the BJP, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi, the CPI, the CPM, the Telugu Desam Party, the All-India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen and the YSR Congress attended the meeting held at North Block.

However, TRS chief K Chandrashekar Rao, the political face of the separate Telangana state campaign, expressed his displeasure at the outcome of the meeting and announced a Telangana bandh tomorrow.

He termed the meeting a “futile exercise” and criticised the government for delaying the creation of a separate state.

Rao said he was “not satisfied” with the announcement of the Centre. “We have been handed so many promises; this one is no different,” Rao said.

At the meeting, the TRS, the BJP and the CPI supported the creation of a separate Telangana state, while the Congress, the TDP and the YSR Congress remained ambivalent on their stand.

The TDP representatives, seeking to reiterate the stand taken in a 2008 letter to the then President favouring a separate state, said the Prime Minister should convene a meeting.

BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said: “Convening an all-party meeting for the third time on the same issue has no meaning if the ruling party does not make its stand clear. We are committed to the creation of a separate state, but what is Congress’ stand? They speak in two voices.”