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A recent RTI reply received from the Union home ministry has contradicted the claim of home minister P Chidambaram over political consultations related to the Telangana issue. An RTI activist from the state had sought to know if Chidambaram had met TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu anytime since November 2009 and also requested for details if there was any such meeting.
In its reply, which was dispatched on June 15, the Union home ministry replied that there had not been a single meeting between Naidu and Chidambaram since November 2009.
On May 2, during a discussion in Lok Sabha, Chidamabaram had stated that he consulted various party leaders on the Telangana issue including Naidu. This had immediately created a furore with many pro-Telangana leaders accusing Naidu of holding a secret meeting with Chidambaram and opposing a separate state demand. However, Naidu denied meeting Chidambaram on the issue.
RTI activist Rakesh Reddy Dubbudu, who had filed the query, said “The idea behind filing this RTI was that people should know the truth about the meeting between Chidambaram and Naidu. The Telangana issue is a very important one and this reply has only created more confusion. If indeed there was no official meeting between the duo as stated by the Union ministry, then the opposition MPs should move a privilege motion against Chidambaram for lying on the floor of the House. If there was any unofficial meeting between them then Chidambaram should come clear on it.” [Times of India]