TRS Chief urges Centre to announce process for Telangana by Monday

Hyderabad, Dec 26 (ANI): Telangana Rashtriya Samithi (TRS) President K. handrasekhar Rao has asked the Central Government to announce the commencement of the process for carving out a Telangana state by Monday.

Speaking at the Telangana Joint Action Committee meeting here last evening, Rao said: "The Central Government to announce the commencement of process for carving out Telangana state by Monday. If the Centre does not respond to our demand, indefinite shutdown will be called there after.

He also called on Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K. Rosaiah to step down as he had lost the moral right to continue after resignation of all ministers belonging to the Telangana region.

Meanwhile, all 13 ministers from the Telangana region have jointly sent a letter to Congress Party President Sonia Gandhi, appealing to her and the Centre to announce a clear time frame for carving out a Telangana state.

Earlier, cutting across party lines, sixty-one MLAs belonging to the Telangana region submitted their resignations to the Andhra Pradesh Assembly Speaker N Kiran Kumar Reddy in protest against a delay in the process for the formation of the Telangana State. Union Home Minister P Chidambaram had made a brief statement last on Wednesday night saying wide ranging consultations would be held to come out with a final solution on Telangana.

Displeased over Chidambaram's statements, the MPs met at the Andhra Bhavan on Thursday to decide upon their strategy. Chidambaram had earlier on December 9 assured the people belonging to the Telangana region that talks are on for the formation of the Telangana state.

On Thursday, Andhra Pradesh was on the boil after the Central Government put on hold its decision to initiate the process for the formation of the Telangana State.

In response, the TRS had called for a 48-hour shutdown beginning Thursday.

The shutdown was later called off due to Christmas. (ANI)