MPs urge Cong high-command to take quick decision on Telangana
Insisting that Andhra Pradesh should not be divided, Congress MPs from non-Telangana regions today appealed to the party high command to take a "bold and quick" decision on the statehood issue to end the current impasse.
Insisting that Andhra Pradesh should not be divided, Congress MPs from non-Telangana regions on Monday appealed to the party high command to take a "bold and quick" decision on the statehood issue to end the current impasse.
A large delegation of ministers, MPs, MLAs and MLCs from the Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra regions met party general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad here and told him that the stalemate on the statehood issue is not doing good to any region of the state.
The meeting was part of the consultation process within the Congress on the contentious statehood demand which has virtually split the party in Andhra Pradesh on regional lines.
Azad was deputed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi to elicit views of lawmakers from Telangana and non-Telangana regions on the issue.
Senior MP KS Rao, who is the face of the anti-Telangana agitation, told PTI that the delegation conveyed to Azad that "emotions, resignations and agitations" should not be the only criteria for carving out a separate state.
"We made clear our stand once again to Mr Azad. We said there is no compromise on our stand. We don't want Andhra Pradesh to be divided," he said.
Asked whether Azad gave any time-frame to them for taking a decision, Rao said: "He did not give any time-frame but he did assure that he will take a decision quickly."
The lawmakers in a memorandum to Azad said the "division of states based on hatred campaign and agitations is not in conformity with the ethos of the Congress party."
"It is time to take a bold and quick decision to end the present stalemate once and for all. Any delay in the decision will further damage the state and the people beyond repair," the leaders said.