The meeting of all political parties in Andhra Pradesh called on December 28 on Telangana would help the Centre to know their views on the issue, Union Minister and Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said tonight. “(Union Home Minister) Sushilkumar Shindeji has decided to have an all-party meeting of leaders of Andhra Pradesh, the tentative date for which is (December) 28. I am sure that all political parties of Andhra will take part in the meeting and express their views frankly.
“Because from time to time, we have been hearing different views from the leaders of political parties – somebody is pro-Telangana, anti-Telangana, somebody for undivided Andhra,” he told reporters during a visit here. In what could be a disappointment for Telangana supporters who expected the meeting to be decisive, Azad, incharge of Congress affairs in AP, said it would be an occasion for Shinde to know the views of parties on the contentious issues after taking over as Union Home Minister.
“Earlier, I think on two occasions, there was an all- party meeting on this issue. Since the new Home Minister has taken over, so he would also like to know the views afresh from the leaders of different political parties,” he said. Meanwhile, state Congress President B Satyanarayana and Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy have told Azad that the meeting date clashed with the World Telugu Conference which is scheduled to begin in Tirupati on the same day.
Speaking separately in Kadapa district, State Health Minister D L Ravindra Reddy said the AP Congress leaders and cadres will abide by the decision of the party high command on the Telangana statehood issue. “We will abide by the decision of the party high command on the Telangana issue,” he said, talking to reporters at Vanipenta near Kadapa. PTI