Getting off their high horse, Telangana Congress leaders on Tuesday accepted the invitation of AICC general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad to visit New Delhi on July 21 or 22 to hold discussions on the statehood issue. The turnaround came after Mr. Azad clarified at a press conference in New Delhi that he was not properly quoted on the Telangana issue while speaking recently in Beijing. He earlier called up Rajya Sabha member K. Keshava Rao and later Minister for Panchayat Raj K. Jana Reddy asking them to come to New Delhi for discussions, besides offering to issue a clarification later in the day.
Lack of unanimity
On Monday, the Telangana Congress leaders attacked Mr. Azad and spurned his invitation to visit New Delhi unless he retracted his statement. Mr. Keshava Rao conveyed to the AICC leader that his statement in Beijing had hurt the Telangana Congress leaders. As was the case on Monday, there was no unanimity over the issue of going to Delhi but Mr. Keshava Rao and Mr. Jana Reddy prevailed upon the rest that no purpose would be served by spurning the invitation yet again. Gutha Sukhender Reddy, MP, told reporters that the leaders plan to go to Delhi on July 21 or 22.
Further, he said depending on the outcome of their discussions, the next course of action would be finalised. “We will not participate in any discussions along with the Seemandhra leaders. Similarly, we are against consultation committee. We are not averse to discuss the process of formation of a separate State and nothing else,” he replied to a query.
‘Talks only way'
Meanwhile, APCC president Botcha Satyanarayana said talks were the only way out to find a solution to the contentious Telangana issue. “I met Mr. Azad and apprised him about the prevailing situation and the consultations I had with the leaders of the three regions,” he said.
