T-note: Pallam slams Home Ministry

‘When the Seemandhra people were expecting a solution from the Antony Committee, the Home Ministry was exactly doing the opposite’

M.M. Pallam Raju

Union Human Resource Development Minister M. M. Pallam Raju has once again expressed his strong displeasure and unhappiness over the goings-on on the Telangana front, particularly the Home Ministry’s decision to prepare the draft of the Cabinet note for the formation of the separate State.

“It shows the wrong handling of the issue and reflects their insensitivity towards the sentiments of Seemandhra people even as the Antony Committee is pursuing various issues raised by the leaders from the non-Telangana regions,” said Mr. Raju, wanting to know why the hurry in preparing the draft note for placing it before the Cabinet.

Talking to

The Hindu from Hyderabad on Thursday, the Minister said the move of the Home Ministry was not sending the right message to the people in Andhra Pradesh. When the Seemandhra people were expecting a solution to the vexatious Telangana issue from the Antony Committee, the Home Ministry was exactly doing the opposite by rushing through with the process without waiting for the outcome of the committee’s report, he said.

A long way to go: Moily

Meanwhile, Union Petroleum Minister and member of the Antony Committee, M. Veerappa Moily, told this correspondent that the committee could not meet for the last few days due to indisposition of Defence Minister A.K. Antony.

Asked when the committee would present its report to the party high command, Mr. Moily hinted there was a long way to go as they had only completed meeting the people/leaders. “There are other matters to be sorted out before finalising the report,” he said. Mr. Moily said the “draft note” of the Home Ministry on the T-issue was not on the agenda of the meeting on Friday.

Senior Congress leader P. Sudhakar Reddy has appealed to the party leaders in the Seemandhra region to ensure that the images of party leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and others were not maligned or insulted by the people/protesters. He had personally taken up the initiative and had been contacting Seemandhra leaders to prevail upon the people that they should not indulge in violence.