Telangana Rashtra Samiti president K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Monday rejected outright Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's plea for ending the agitation for creation of a separate State and seeking “more time” to resolve the issue.
He threatened to go on a fast unto death again unless the Centre came out with a clear-cut announcement mentioning a time frame within which the State of Telangana would be formed. In fact, the ongoing stir in the Telangana region, which entered the 22nd day on Monday, would be intensified.
‘No positive development'
Mr. Rao, along with Telangana Joint Action Committee convener Prof. K. Kodhandaram, told journalists that the delegation which met Dr. Singh was not satisfied with his response and there was no positive development at the meeting.
He said: “The Prime Minister asked us to call off the agitation. We told him it is not in our hands. People are very angry in Telangana and they have even decided not to celebrate festivals. People are dying every day for the cause of Telangana.”
Dr. Singh told the delegation that he understood the demand, sentiments and aspirations of the people. But he did not give any assurance, Mr. Rao said. “He told us that a process is under way and consultations are on and said that will take some more time.” But the Prime Minister was not coming out with a solution.
The TRS chief said he urged Dr. Singh to instruct Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy to restore seven-hour power supply to farmers in Telangana. He charged Mr. Reddy with instigating farmers against the Telangana movement.
“Nothing new in PM's assurance”
At his meetings with delegations from Telangana on Monday, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh repeated what he had said. “There is nothing new in his assurance” on the Telangana issue, said. Nagarkurnool Congress MP Manda Jagannath.
Mr. Jagannath urged Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram to stop issuing “irrelevant” statements, separating the views of the Congress from those of the UPA government.
Both the Congress and Telangana Rashtra Samiti delegations wanted Dr. Singh to bring in the Bill on Telangana at once. The Congress functionaries told him that the Centre should at least announce a time frame for creating a new State. They said people were not in a mood even to celebrate Deepavali.
Informed sources said some members of the Congress delegation, led by Ministers J. Geeta Reddy and K. Jana Reddy, asked Dr. Singh to rein in Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, whose statements were “further causing trouble.”
Congress spokesperson Abishek Singhvi said at a press briefing that the leadership was making efforts “for a comprehensive, satisfactory and expeditious resolution…”
Mr. Singhvi asked CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat, who had written to Dr. Singh on the Telangana issue, to reveal his “magic formula.” “Patience is the key, as a solution to the ticklish issue would take time.”
CPI stand
Meanwhile, the CPI has rejected the government's decision to hold “further consultations.” Its general secretary A.B. Bardhan said after TRS leader K. Chandrasekhar Rao called on him that the party would soon write to Dr. Singh.
“There is no need to consult the national parties as all parties, except the Congress, have taken a stand on the [Telangana] demand,” he said.
