Hyderabad, December 07: Chief Minister K Rosaiah today offered to withdraw all the cases filed against TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao and also to move a resolution in the State Legislative Assembly on the Hyderabad `free zone’ issue.
Both the decisions were taken as a counter-strategy to diffuse the ongoing agitation for Telangana statehood.
Ahead of the winter session of the Assembly which is to commence tomorrow, the State Cabinet met here today and discussed the ongoing agitation for separate Telangana.
Rosaiah offered to withdraw all the cases filed against the TRS chief since December 29 where he attempted to start his fast-on-to-death. It is learnt that the decision was taken following a suggestion of ministers from the Telangana region to lure the TRS cadre to talks.
“We took the decision after considering his health and the sentiments of people of Telangana region.
The officials concerned were asked to make the necessary arrangements,’’ Rosaiah said.
The Cabinet also decided to move a resolution for removal of the `14 F’ paragraph from the Presidential Order as it is causing certain ambiguity on the `free zone’ issue. The resolution will be passed during the ensuing session of the State Assembly at the earliest.
“ T h e S t a t e g o v e r nme n t has never considered Hyderabad as a free zone. We have already filed a review petition in the Supreme Court on its verdict and are confident that the result will be favourable to us,’’ the chief minister said.
Replying a question, Rosaiah admitted that the resolution in the Assembly on the `free zone’ issue would be of no use in future and was being passed only at the request of government employees from the Telangana region.
Interestingly, the chief minister tried to skip questions posed by mediapersons on the demand for passing a resolution for separate statehood for Telangana and also withdrawal of cases filed against students during the agitation. He gave no specific assurance on withdrawal of cases filed against students and pro-Telangana activists stating that they would be dealt with later.
He also warned that the police would no longer keep mum in case the agitators attacked public or private properties.
Sources said that participation of students in the movement was posing a great challenge to the chief minister and his Cabinet colleagues as they were finding it difficult to tackle student violence.
“Student participation has become a major concern to us. We can neither take any action nor sit idle. We are yet to come up with a strategy to deal with them,’’ said a minister.
–Agencies