Upping the ante, leaders of Andhra Pradesh’s ruling Congress from Telangana on Thursday said they would be forced to take a “tough decision” if the central leadership failed tomake a favourable statement on statehood for the region by month-end.
The Telangana Steering Committee of the Congress sounded thewarning to the leadership after a meeting here. At least three state ministers, including steering committee chief K Jana Reddy, said theywere ready to quit even if others didn’t do so.
One of them, K Venkat Reddy, has already threatened to resign andlaunch an indefinite fast from October 2 if the central government failed to take apositive decision by then.
Legislator G Venkatramna Reddy told reporters that the leadersdecided to visit Delhi on September 26 to meet the central leadership. “Thehigh command should immediately take a favourable decision, failingwhich we will be forced to take a hard decision,” he said.
The steering committee also decided to take out a rally from the Telanganamartyrs’ memorial to state secretariat here Friday to support theongoing indefinite “people’s strike” in Telangana.
MPs, who submitted their resignations on theissue in July, warned that they would wait till month end. If the central government makes no announcement they would press for the acceptance oftheir resignations.
The leaders also targeted Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy andGovernor ESL Narasimhan for sending “misleading” reports to New Delhi on the Telangana issue. They alleged that it is because of suchreports that the central leaders were not understanding the gravity ofthe problem.
Lok Sabha member M Jagannatham condemned the statement of the party’s centralleader and spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi that the strike inTelangana did not have any impact.
The MP said Singhvi had no knowledge of the situation in Telangana.”The employees are on strike, buses are off the roads, coalproduction has come to halt and the entire Telangana has come to astandstill. In such a situation, this statement is an insult to peopleof Telangana and to 600 youth who committed suicide for separate state,” he said.
“If the strike is not having any impact why is the chief minister seeking electricity from other states,” asked Congress legislatorMohan Reddy. [IANS]