The Hindu : News / National : Telangana Cong. MPs take govt. by surprise

The Hindu : News / National : Telangana Cong. MPs take govt. by surprise

New Delhi, February 23, 2011
Telangana Cong. MPs take govt. by surprise
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Agitating Congress MPs from Telangana on Wednesday threatened to commit suicide in Parliament premises if their demand for a separate state is not met and insisted that they will not allow the Lok Sabha to function till the Prime Minister makes a statement on the issue.

Taken aback by the MPs’ agitation, Law Minister M Veerappa Moily said they should create an atmosphere of “trust” and not “confrontation” to ensure that a solution is found and insisted that a “proper procedure” has to be followed starting from the Andhra Pradesh Assembly.

“For separate statehood to Telangana, many people are dying.... We will not give up this demand. Our people will continue to lay down their lives and we will commit suicide here in Parliament if the demand is not met,” Congress MP from Hyderabad Sarve Satyanarayan told reporters.

A delegation of 11 MPs from the Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh met the Prime Minister, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal and insisted that their demand be met.

“Many people committed suicide when they found Congress was not doing anything. Today also, when the Sri Krishna report has been submitted, there is no mention of Telangana in the Presidential address. This is very disappointing. People feel Congress and UPA are not serious about Telangana,” Mr. Satyanarayan said.

The agitating MPs said their stir on this “serious issue” has been going on for many years and many people have sacrificed their lives for it.

“On 2G spectrum, which most people don’t understand and for which no life has been sacrificed, the Prime Minister gave a statement on formation of a JPC,” Mr. Satyanarayan said, demanding that he should make a similar statement on Telangana.

“On December 9, 2009 a policy statement was made by the government that a resolution would be moved for formation of Telangana. But after this they (government) went back on the promise,” the MPs said.

Sources said the government was “taken aback” by the disruption of Parliament by the Congress MPs from Telangana.

Efforts were on to find a way out to allow the Parliament to function.

Mr. Moily maintained that for formation of a new state a resolution has to be first passed by the Andhra Pradesh Assembly and the agitating MPs should follow the procedure laid down for such an exercise.

“How can Telangana be formed (like this). There is a procedure involved. The Bill cannot be taken up Parliament till it is passed by the Assembly. We have to create an atmosphere which cannot be created by confrontation. It has to be created by trust,” Mr. Moily said.

The government is reportedly looking into ways to placate the agitating MPs so that Parliament can function normally.

Mr. Moily said the action of these MPs will “create more misunderstandings” and insisted that a “solution has to be found harmoniously”.

Keywords: Telangana issue