Four Telugu Desam Party MPs on Saturday gheraoed Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde outside his North Block office and demanded inclusion, in the GoM on Telangana, of representatives from the joint action committee (JAC) protesting the proposed bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.
N Kristappa, N Siva Prasad, K Narayan Rao and M. Venugopal Reddy, the four MPs, gheraoed Mr. Shinde as he was entering North Block to chair a second meeting of the Group of Minsters constituted to look into issues related to the bifurcation.
They said that the meeting should not be held unless the matter was first discussed with the agitating people of Seemandhra region in Andhra Pradesh.
There is no one in the GoM who clearly understands the grievances and demands of the Seemandhra people, the MPs told Mr. Shinde. The Home Minister responded saying that the demand raised by them would be discussed at the meeting. He also countered their arguments, pointing out that TDP chief N. Chandrababu Naidu had given in writing his party’s commitment to the separate Telangana demand.
Agitating in front of North Block, the TDP MPs waved placards which said ‘Save Andhra Pradesh’.
Later, talking to reporters, Mr. Reddy demanded that the GoM visit Andhra Pradesh to meet the people. “Don’t take decisions sitting in air-conditioned rooms. You should come to Andhra Pradesh to understand the real situation there. We don’t want the meeting to be held here,” he said. The MPs stressed that representatives from the JACs from both the Telangana and Seemandhra regions should be included in the GoM. All stakeholders should be made part of the bifurcation discussions, they said.
Mr. Kristappa evaded a question as to whether TDP was supporting the bifurcation. “We want justice for Andhra Pradesh,” he said.
