Hyderabad, January 6: The prolonged suspense surrounding the demand for a separate state of Telangana would be unraveled on Thursday when the Justice Sri Krishna Committee report would be made public after Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram discusses with leaders of various political parties from the state.
It might be recalled here that the Union Home Minister had convened a meeting of leaders belonging to eight recognized political parties tomorrow after receipt of the report on December 30. Two representatives from each political were invited to the meeting. The scheduled meeting has, however, run into troubled waters with the TRS, BJP and even the TDP deciding to boycott it, citing various reasons. A second invitation was sent to all the parties to attend the meeting but the three parties again rejected the same. While the Congress, MIM and PRP would take part in the deliberations, the participation of both the Left parties still remained unclear.
The Congress would be represented by Mr. M. Uttam Kumar Reddy and Mr. Kavuri Sambasiva Rao while the MIM is deputing party leaders Mr. Akbaruddin Owaisi and Mr. Pasha Quadri. The PRP is sending its senior leaders Mr. Kotagiri Vidyadhara Rao and Mr. C. Ramchandriah to attend the meeting.
The TRS rejected the fresh appeal by the Union Home Minister to attend the meeting by sticking to its demand that only one representative should represent each party to convey a single opinion rather than airing divergent views by the two representatives. The TRS charged the Centre with deliberately encouraging the parties to express divert views by inviting two representatives from each political party. The party also stuck to its guns by demanding that a Bill should be introduced in the Parliament during the ensuing budget session for a separate Telangana state irrespective of the recommendations of the Sri Krishna Committee.
Meanwhile the Union Minister for Finance Mr. Pranab Mukherjee at a meeting with the Congress MPS from Telangana region is understood to have expressed the High Command’s ire over their defiant posture in airing views on the sensitive issue despite a gag order issued recently. Mr. Mukherjee is understood to have taken a class of the MPs and advised them firmly not to express any opinion after the Sri Krishna Committee report is made public tomorrow. He sought the cooperation of the MPs in the efforts of the Centre to resolve the crisis without causing any embarrassment to the Congress Party.
The Chief Minister Mr. N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, who reached Delhi this morning, had an hour-long discussion with the AICC President Mrs. Sonia Gandhi on the pros and cons of the Sri Krishna Committee report and the measures initiated by the state government to meet any eventuality. The AICC President is understood to have also expressed her unhappiness over the tone and tenor of the Congress MPs from Telangana on the issue.
NSS