Telangana: MPs To Pressurize Centre

The Telangana Congress Steering Committee has decided to mount pressure on the central government for the introduction of a Telangana Bill in Parliament.

The decision was taken during the committee's meeting held at the residence of Panchayat Raj Minister K Jana Reddy at Banjara Hills, in Hyderabad, on Sunday.

Briefing reporters later, Nalgonda MP Gutta Sukhender Reddy said that the Congress MPs would mount pressure on the Congress High Command for the introduction of a Telangana Bill in the ongoing budget session of Parliament.

Sukhender Reddy said that the decision on Telangana was being delayed citing Assembly elections in 5 states - not that the elections are over, the Congress High Command must announce its decision on the statehood issue and introduce the a Telangana Bill in Parliament, he demanded.

Besides Jana and Gutta, Sunday's meeting was attended by Lok Sabha MPs Manda Jagannatham, G Vivek, S Rajaiah and Balram Naik and MLCs KR Amos and Yadav Reddy.

However, Gutta said that all Congress MPs would meet again on Monday in New Delhi, to finalise the future course of action.

The Nalgonda MP also denied allegations that Telangana MPs were responsible for the defeat of Congress candidates in the by-elections in the region.

He said that the MPs have played their role, and that the candidates and ministers who were made in-charge of those constituencies must be held responsible for the debacle.

Reacting to the suicide by MBA student Bojja Naik in Warangal, Nagarkurnool MP Manda Jagannatham said the Steering Committee has paid condolences to Naik and expressed sympathies with the family. However, suicide was not the right path to achieve Telangana, he said.

He advised youth from the region to refrain from such acts, and to participate in a peaceful agitation to achieve their goal.

Jagannatham said that the statements and obstacles created by Seemandhra leaders were responsible for Naik's suicide. He requested Seemandhra leaders not to create further obstacles in the formation of Telangana.

While the Steering Committee's meeting was on, about 50 activists of Telangana Jagruthi and TRSV staged a dharna before Jana Reddy's residence. They shouted slogans accusing the Congress leaders of betraying the Telangana cause. They demanded that the MPs and ministers resign from their posts and join the statehood agitation. (INN)