Pranab asks unrelenting Telangana ministers to withdraw resignations

Ahead of the ultimatum to the Centre to specify the timeframe for formation of a Telangana state by Monday, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee reportedly said there will be some good news on this vexed issue in the near future.

Updated on: Dec 27, 2009, 23:08:49 IST

PTI | By HT Correspondent, New Delhi/Hyderabad

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

Ahead of the ultimatum to the Centre to specify the timeframe for formation of a Telangana state by Monday, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday night reportedly said there will be some good news on this vexed issue in the near future.

At the same time, the senior Congress leader asked his 13 party ministers from the Telangana region in Andhra Pradesh, who met him, to withdraw their resignations, but they appeared to be not in a mood to relent immediately.

"Pranab Mukherjee asked us to withdraw our resignations and assured us that there will be good news on Telangana issue in the near future. We are also waiting for some special news on the issue," State Information and Tourism Minister Geeta Reddy told reporters after the meeting.

Reddy led a delegation of the 13 ministers who quit in protest against Centre putting the Telangana on backburner. Water Resources Minister Ponnala Lakshmaiah also shared Reddy's sentiments. The ministers are also pressing the Centre to set a time frame for carving out a separate state.

Telangana Rashtra Samiti(TRS) Chief K Chandrasekhar Rao has given an ultimatum to the Centre to set the time-frame by tomorrow failing which an "indefinite bandh" will be enforced in the region.

The Joint Action Committee, spearheading the Telangana agitation, meanwhile received a boost with Telugu Desam leaders from that region agreeing to join the group. It also met tonight to firm up strategies.

Prof K Kodandaram, convener of the JAC formed last week to intensify agitation for the separate state, said the leaders of main opposition party agreed to be part of it.

There was no let up in rallies and protest demonstrations across the state today for the fourth consecutive day in support of Telangana state.

Follow India news real-time updates and the latest news covered on Hindustan Times, featuring today's critical updates on Sonam Wangchuk LIVE and more across India.