The Congress on Wednesday said the Telangana issue was dynamic and changing, and wider consultations were necessitated by the fresh opinions that emerged after the Centre’s December 9 statement, which called for “moving an appropriate resolution in the Assembly” for creation of a separate State.
Talking to reporters, Congress spokesperson Jayanthi Natarajan said the issue was political as well as emotional, and there was unrest in the State. The priority was to restore peace in the State. Admitting that the opinion on creation of Telangana was divided even within the Congress, Ms. Natarajan said it was a subject on which the opinions were divided not along political or party lines, but along the regional lines. “But once the party takes a stand — which would be the stand the government takes — all leaders will take the same stand.”
Though Telangana found a place in the Congress manifesto, a final decision would be taken after wider consultations with stakeholders, Ms. Natarajan said.
“A certain situation prevailed on December 9, and the Home Minister made the statement after an all-party meeting convened by the Andhra Chief Minister. But several parties, especially the Telugu Desam Party and the Praja Rajyam Party, went back on their stand, and this necessitated wider consultations,” she said.
On the Congress issuing show-cause notices to some of its MPs and MLAs while overlooking Jaganmohan Reddy, son of the former Chief Minister, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, who had supported an undivided Andhra Pradesh in the Lok Sabha, Ms. Natarajan said the party general secretary in charge of Andhra Pradesh would have assessed the situation before taking any decision.
