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A day after the Congress Core Group meeting discussed the contentious demand for a separate Telangana State, the Government on Saturday said it would hold consultations with different political parties at the national level. This is being seen as a clear ploy by the Centre to buy time on resolving this explosive issue.
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and political secretary to Congress president Ahmed Patel discussed the situation in Telangana region in Andhra Pradesh where life is paralysed because of the ongoing agitation for the past 19 days.
“We are in the process of consultations. On Friday, we discussed it in the Core Group. Today also, some of my colleagues discussed it with me. Further consultations would be needed. We are in the process of it,” Mukherjee told mediapersons after the meeting.
He said the Government was "fully aware" of the gravity of the situation and the agitation which has paralysed life in all the 10 districts of Telangana region, including state capital Hyderabad. "Therefore, we will have to go for more consultations that will take some time," he said.
The meeting took place as TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao arrived here to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other leaders to demand an early solution to the statehood issue.
Azad, who is also the AICC general secretary in charge of Andhra Pradesh, said he has held consultations with the elected representatives leaders of the three regions of coastal Andhra, Rayalseema and Telangana in the last two months. "The state-level consultations got over on September 30. Consultations are required and one step will overtake another. One step is over now and the next will start," he said.
The Health Minister further said, "It is not an easy decision to be taken…It would not be solved in one day. Whatever the decision or resolution, it will take sometime. We need to take everybody on board. More discussions are needed in this regard with some senior leaders at the national level of some parties and also with some at the state level. This is the progress at the moment."
He said the Ministers, MPs, ex-MPs, MLAs, ex-MLAs, MLCs and ex-MLCs from the State have been consulted so far and they have presented their views.
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and political secretary to Congress president Ahmed Patel discussed the situation in Telangana region in Andhra Pradesh where life is paralysed because of the ongoing agitation for the past 19 days.
“We are in the process of consultations. On Friday, we discussed it in the Core Group. Today also, some of my colleagues discussed it with me. Further consultations would be needed. We are in the process of it,” Mukherjee told mediapersons after the meeting.
He said the Government was "fully aware" of the gravity of the situation and the agitation which has paralysed life in all the 10 districts of Telangana region, including state capital Hyderabad. "Therefore, we will have to go for more consultations that will take some time," he said.
The meeting took place as TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao arrived here to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other leaders to demand an early solution to the statehood issue.
Azad, who is also the AICC general secretary in charge of Andhra Pradesh, said he has held consultations with the elected representatives leaders of the three regions of coastal Andhra, Rayalseema and Telangana in the last two months. "The state-level consultations got over on September 30. Consultations are required and one step will overtake another. One step is over now and the next will start," he said.
The Health Minister further said, "It is not an easy decision to be taken…It would not be solved in one day. Whatever the decision or resolution, it will take sometime. We need to take everybody on board. More discussions are needed in this regard with some senior leaders at the national level of some parties and also with some at the state level. This is the progress at the moment."
He said the Ministers, MPs, ex-MPs, MLAs, ex-MLAs, MLCs and ex-MLCs from the State have been consulted so far and they have presented their views.
