In a major setback to the Telangana agitation, Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday categorically stated that the Telangana issue is complex, and that it would take more time to resolve it.
"The problem is so complex that it has not been resolved for the last 60 years. Problems arose from the first SRC, and then came the Gentlement's Agreement, then the 6-point formula and the Mulki Rule, and there were other developmental issues," Pranab told a private news television channel in Kolkata today.
Justifying the delay in finding a solution, Pranab said that the issue is "highly sensitive", and that it is difficult to set a definite time frame for its solution.
He opined that Telangana would create more problems in future. Apprehending violence in the statehood agitation, he appealed for peace, stating that "sometimes, mass frenzy creates a situation that gets difficult to control".
Presenting a historical view, Pranab said there was no pressure on how Indian states should be formed.
"After independence, the whole of the south was divided into 2 presidential provinces - Bombay and Madras presidency. There was no state like Rajasthan during the British rule - it was called Rajputana," he said.
Pranab's statement is likely to spark a fresh wave of protest, and all pro-Telangana leaders have already condemned it. (INN)