The Centre has no plan to withdraw its decision to create Telangana, Minister of State for Home Affairs R.P.N. Singh said here on Monday. “The Centre has taken the decision, and it was after a long-standing demand for a separate state. The parties protesting today like the Telugu Desam Party, at the meeting convened by the Home Ministry, had given their support for the creation of Telangana. It’s sad that now they are going back…,” he told reporters on the sidelines of a function.
As protests intensified in Seemandhra and MPs of his own party resigned, Mr. Singh said the Union Cabinet formed a Group of Ministers to sort out issues pertaining to Seemandhra.
As for the growing demand for a CBI probe into the Muzaffarnagar communal violence, he pointed out that the Uttar Pradesh government had formed a judicial committee. But he did not rule out a CBI probe. “The State has to propose it… The State has formed a judicial committee. Let’s wait for it. It [the inquiry] should be concluded as soon as possible and the guilty punished.”
At the 21st anniversary of the Rapid Action Force (RAF), a specialised wing of the CRPF, at its Phaphamau battalion headquarters in the Trans-Ganga region of Allahabad, Mr. Singh praised the paramilitary forces for their “secular” character and bringing the situation under control whenever riots broke out. Citing the Muzaffarnagar riots, he said: “The situation was out of the State government’s control. If the Centre had not sent forces, things would not have come under control. We rushed more forces than they had asked.”
He said drives were launched in the Naxal-affected areas to encourage women and tribal people to join the paramilitary forces. “So far, the response has been good. All vacancies are being filled.”
CRPF Director-General Dilip Trivedi said 10 new RAF battalions would be formed. “This will decrease the peace-keeping time, which is crucial during riots. These forces will be located at sensitive spots…”
Mr. Trivedi said it was planned to improve housing for the paramilitary forces, and an engineering wing was proposed for the CRPF.
