Telangana issue hits dead end; differences among Cong leader

Hyderabad, Jul 9: Serious differences seem to have cropped up among the Congress leaders from Telangana over the course of action to be followed to achieve their goal of statehood with most of the legislators from the region staying away from a meeting convened to discuss the issue.

A meet convened here this evening by Telangana Congress leaders, who quit their posts in support of their demand, to chalk out their future strategy remained inconclusive with most of the legislators not attending it.

Only three of the 12 ministers who had resigned over the issue attended the meeting, besides eight MPs, nine MLAs and six MLCs.

After the meeting, the leaders announced that they were firm on their resignations and would not take them back.

A senior leader who took part in the meeting said they have decided to constitute a "core committee" with nine leaders to take their agitation programmes forward.

"We have also decided not to join hands with the Joint Action Committee and instead go ahead with programmes on our own. We will have another round of meeting on Monday to chalk out future course of action," he said.

Another leader who attended the meeting said efforts by pro-Telangana forces to revive the JAC did not materialise as Congress and TDP remained disinclined to come together.

With apprehensions that the so-called JAC, with the support of other separatist groups in the region, is planning "militant struggles" to achieve its objective, the main political parties are wary of associating themselves with it.

PTI