New Delhi:
Union Minister Jaipal Reddy met the Prime Minister to discuss the Telangana crisis which has struck the Congress with considerable force.
Mr Reddy is from Andhra Pradesh's Chelvella constituency. Sources say that he urged Dr Manmohan Singh to sanction a Telangana state.
Close to 100 MLAs from Telangana have resigned - nearly half of them from the Congress - to demand a new state be carved out for their homeland. At least 10 MPs have also sent their resignations to the Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar. (Read: Lok Sabha Speaker to decide on Telangana MPs' resignations by August 1)
After his meeting, Mr Reddy, who has also been under pressure to resign, refused to share what he had advised the PM. "This is between me and my PM," he said. "I think everyone is worried...I merely conveyed my assessment of the situation."
Earlier this week, Home Minister P Chidambaram said that despite the bulk resignations, President's Rule in Andhra Pradesh has not been debated so far.
A two-day bandh which ended in Telangana yesterday saw escalating tension between police and student protesters at Osmania University in Hyderabad. Public transport did not run; shops, schools, colleges and banks were closed.
In December 2009, Mr Chidambaram said the Centre had decided to initiate the process of creating a new state for Telangana. Massive and violent protests from other regions of Andhra Pradesh, however, interrupted that plan. Since then, the Centre has not indicated its stand on the area's political future. (Read: Rallies in Andhra, Rayalaseema oppose Telangana state)
Telangana politicians say they cannot face their voters without evidence that they're pushing the union government to deliver on its original promise on statehood. The resignations, they stress, allow them to portray their willingness to sacrifice power for their cause.
Mr Reddy is from Andhra Pradesh's Chelvella constituency. Sources say that he urged Dr Manmohan Singh to sanction a Telangana state.
Close to 100 MLAs from Telangana have resigned - nearly half of them from the Congress - to demand a new state be carved out for their homeland. At least 10 MPs have also sent their resignations to the Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar. (Read: Lok Sabha Speaker to decide on Telangana MPs' resignations by August 1)
After his meeting, Mr Reddy, who has also been under pressure to resign, refused to share what he had advised the PM. "This is between me and my PM," he said. "I think everyone is worried...I merely conveyed my assessment of the situation."
Earlier this week, Home Minister P Chidambaram said that despite the bulk resignations, President's Rule in Andhra Pradesh has not been debated so far.
A two-day bandh which ended in Telangana yesterday saw escalating tension between police and student protesters at Osmania University in Hyderabad. Public transport did not run; shops, schools, colleges and banks were closed.
In December 2009, Mr Chidambaram said the Centre had decided to initiate the process of creating a new state for Telangana. Massive and violent protests from other regions of Andhra Pradesh, however, interrupted that plan. Since then, the Centre has not indicated its stand on the area's political future. (Read: Rallies in Andhra, Rayalaseema oppose Telangana state)
Telangana politicians say they cannot face their voters without evidence that they're pushing the union government to deliver on its original promise on statehood. The resignations, they stress, allow them to portray their willingness to sacrifice power for their cause.
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