Telangana not possible without consensus: Azad

Beijing, Jul 12: Maintaining that a decision on formation of Telangana state cannot be taken without consensus among legislators of all regions of Andhra Pradesh, Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad today (Jul 12) said the issue cannot move an "inch" without the State Assembly passing a unanimous resolution.

"Telangana is a burning issue. I cannot deny that fact," Azad, who is also the General Secretary of the Congress Party, told Indian media here.

Azad is here to attend the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) Health Ministers' conference.

"While there are deep sentiments close to heart of each and everyone in Telangana, there are also sentiments in Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions of Andhra Pradesh. So unless we take everybody on board it will be very difficult to decide," he said.

"The basic and most important thing is that, while we have sympathy for the sentiments of the people of Telangana and I respect the sentiments of people of Telangana, at the same time for division of any state we need total consensus," he said.

Unless there was a consensus and full cooperation from the legislators of Seemandhra and Rayalaseema, a resolution cannot be passed, Azad said.

"If we have to do this we have to pass a unanimous resolution. Unless a unanimous resolution is passed, we cannot move one inch," he said.

Azad, who is in charge of Andhra Pradesh affairs in the Congress party, sounded critical of Sri Krishna Commission not coming out with one solution to resolve the vexed issue.

PTI