Primary Education Minister S Sailajanath on Saturday claimed that the Congress High Command is holding talks with national level leaders not to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh, but to explore means of keeping the state integrated.
Talking to reporters at the Congress Legislature Party office, Sailajanath said that the High Command is apparently against the bifurcation of AP.
However, effective measures are being planned to contain the statehood agitation and maintain the status quo without disturbing the law and order, he said.
"Statehood for Telangana is a national issue, and therefore, consultations with national level leaders are imminent. The Centre, therefore, is trying to find effective ways through which the state can be kept integrated," he claimed.
Sailajanath, who is also the convenor of the Samaikhyandhra Political Joint Action Committee, said that the leaders of Seemandhra need not worry about the consultation process being held by Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad. He said that the Centre would never agree for a bifurcation of the state, under any circumstances.
The minister denied allegations that the Centre is intentionally delaying the Telangana decision. He said that the Centre has held all-party meetings, constituted the Srikrishna Committee and taken other steps, only to resolve the matter amicably.
He hoped that the Centre implements one of the 6 options recommended by the Srikrishna Committee.
Responding to a query regarding the appointment of new heads for the district units of the Congress party, Sailajanath said that all sections of the society must be given proper representation in the new DCC bodies.
He said that he would speak to PCC president Botsa Satyanarayana about this issue, and hoped that justice would be done to all sections, especially the Scheduled Castes. (INN)
filed in:Congress, United AP Movement, S Sailajanath