"All-Party Meet A Futile Exercise"

The Communist Party of India on Friday expressed apprehensions that the all-party meeting on Telangana being held on December 28 would prove to be a futile exercise.

Talking to reporters here, CPI Secretary alleged that the ruling Congress party lacks seriousness on the issue and that was the reason why a decision on the statehood issue was being delayed. He ridiculed the Centre's contention there was no consensus on the Telangana issue. He said that the Centre went ahead with the nuclear deal and FDI policies although there was no consensus on those issues. However, he said that the Centre was dragging the Telangana issue citing lack of consensus as the reason.

Narayana also slammed Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad's recent statement saying that the all-party meeting was being held due to change of Home Minister. He asked whether the Centre would convene an all-party meeting every time the Home Minister gets changed. To prove its seriousness on the issue, he demanded that the Congress party announce its stand on the Telangana. He also appealed to the parties to give their clear stand on the issue.

The CPI leader also accused Governor ESL Narasimhan of acting like a politician to favour the ruling party. He said that the Governor has deliberately kept the issue of prosecution of Roads and Building Minister Dharmana Prasad Rao pending to help the government. He advised Narasimhan not to cross the laxman rekha. (INN)