Telangana MPs ready for 'any sacrifice' after Jan 28

Congress MPs from Telangana Friday said they were ready for any sacrifice if the central government failed to announce its decision on separate statehood for the region by Jan 28.

The MPs, who met here, decided to meet again Jan 29 to announce their future course of action.

The meeting was held to discuss the latest developments in view of Congress general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad's statement that a decision on Telangana issue was not likely by Jan 28.

The MPs reiterated that the central government should stick to the one-month deadline announced by Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde after the all-party meeting Dec 28.

Senior leader K. Keshava Rao told reporters that they were ready to work with any party to achieve the goal of a separate state.

G. Vivek, one of the MPs, said if the central government failed to take a decision soon to carve out Telangana, it would have serious repercussions. "This time we will have to take some hard decision because we are losing our credibility among the people in Telangana," said MP S. Rajaiah.

"The Congress party's image will suffer further damage," warned Manda Jagannatham, at whose residence the meeting was held. G. Sukhender Reddy said they would not hesitate to quit the party if it takes a decision against a Telangana state.

Meanwhile, Congress legislator Komatireddy Venkatreddy called on Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief K. Chandrasekhara Rao Friday amid speculations that he and his brother Komatireddy Rajagopalreddy, a Congress MP, plan to join TRS. "We will take a hard decision after Jan 28," said Venkatreddy, who had resigned as state minister last year to press the demand for a separate state.

TRS leader Harish Rao said if the central government failed to take a positive decision by Jan 28, all ministers from Telangana should resign.

Chandrasekhara Rao's daughter K. Kavitha, who heads Telangana Jagruthi, a cultural organization, and her supporters staged a sit-in here to demand that the central government grants a Telangana state.

On the other side, protests continued in Seemandhra (Rayalaseema and Andhra regions) urging the central government not to split Andhra Pradesh.

Supporters of Samaikhya or united Andhra laid siege to the residence of state minister Mohammed Ahmedullah in Kadapa demanding his resignation. Police arrested the protesters.

In Visakakhapatnam, the protesters laid siege to the house of Congress leader Subbirami Reddy.

Congress leaders from Seemandhra are attending a public meeting organised by Congress MP U. Arun Kumar in Rajhamundry to press the demand for keeping Andhra Pradesh united.
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-PTI