Hectic lobbying continued in the national capital to bring pressure on the central government for and against making Hyderabad a Union Territory in the event of bifurcating Andhra Pradesh.
Union Minister from Seemandhra J.D. Seelam called on the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and emphasized the need to make Hyderabad a Unio0n Territory, if bifurcation of A.P is inevitable. He explained to the PM that Telangana people and the region would not be affected in any way if the capital is made a Union Territory. The PM seemed to have informed Seelam that he would bring the matter to the notice of the GoM, which was dealing with the process of Telangana formation, to take appropriate decision in the matter.
At the same time, a delegation of Telangana Congress leaders led by Marri Sashidhar Reddy, Vice-Chairman of the National Disaster Relief Management, met the Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and strongly opposed any move to make Hyderabad a UT. Rajya Sabha Member V. Hanumantha Rao and State Labour Minister D.Nagender too expressed their firm opinion against making Hyderabad a UT.
Meanwhile, the Union Minister for Rural Development Jairam Ramesh invited the Union Ministers from Seemandhra to elicit their opinions and suggestions regarding the status of Hyderabad. (NSS)