Congress attempts to assuage TRS Chief's feelings

New Delhi, Aug 21 (UNI) AICC General Secretary and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijay Singh today met TRS Chief K Chandrashekhara Rao in order to persuade him not to quit the Union Cabinet if there was no firm assurance on creation of Telangana state.

This half-an-hour meeting of Mr Singh took place after his meeting with Defence Minister Pranab Kumar Mukherjee, the head of the UPA Sub-Committee looking into the issue of carving out Telangana from Andhra Pradesh.

Talking to newspersons after the meeting, Mr Singh said the consultation process would continue and efforts will be on to retain TRS within the UPA. "Telangana is a political decision and taking such a decision would take time", Mr Singh said.

While Mr Mukherjee declined to speak on the issue, Mr Singh after the meeting said the Congress had conceded the TRS demand in right earnest but consensus had eluded the decision making.

He said the Congress could not vote along with BJP on the issue disregarding the sentiments of the UPA partners. The TRS wants the law creating Telangana to be passed with both voting together in Parliament.

Asked about the threat to resign from the Union Cabinet, Mr Singh said the Congress has given Mr Rao an assurance (on Telangana) and it was for the TRS chief to take part in the process of governance and development of not just Telangana but the entire country.

The blow hot and blow cold attitude of the Congress is to give a feeling that it is not responsible for the exit of the TRS from the UPA while offering no concession on Telangana front.

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