Pro-Telangana parties criticise PM

Hyderabad, Feb 16 (PTI) The Telangana Joint ActionCommittee (JAC), TRS and other pro-Telangana parties todaycriticised Prime Minister Manmohan Singh''s remarks that theCentre was trying to arrive at a consensus on Telangana issue.

"We condemn the remarks of the Prime Minister. Thecentral leadership should be impartial. But we are getting thefeeling that it has come under the vicious influence of theaffluent sections of the ''Seemandhra'' (Rayalaseema and coastalAP regions)," JAC Convener M Kodandaram told reporters.

"We appeal to the Prime Minister and Congress leaders notto betray Telangana. The consensus came long ago. As many as36 parties gave letters to the Pranab Mukherjee committee(which worked during 2004-2009). It is not fair to betray usin the name of consensus," TRS MLA and party president KChandrasekhar Rao''s son K T Rama Rao said in Warangal.

Criticising the Prime Minister for saying that the Centreis trying to arrive at a consensus on Telangana issue, seniorTDP MLA from Telangana N Janardhan Reddy claimed "it isshameful for the Prime Minister to say so".

"Congress promised Telangana. It included the issue inthe President''s address to a joint session of Parliament. Ithad announced on December 9 (in 2009) that it will start theprocess of formation of separate Telangana. It is shameful forthe Prime Minister to talk about consensus now," he said.

During his interaction with television editors today, thePrime Minister said: "I think this is a complicated issue andwe are trying to evolve a consensus. The Home Minister had oneround of meeting with all the political parties. He will callthese political parties again because the first round was justfor handing them over the Srikrishna Committee report." PTISJR VKV