Rayala Telangana triggers panic among politicos

HYDERABAD: Following the Centre's feelers that it is seriously considering the Rayala Telangana proposal, Telangana Congress leaders pressed the panic button and knocked on the doors of the movers and shakers of AICC in Delhi on Monday.

They tried to prevail upon their Delhi bosses not to tamper with the T-state promised in the Congress Working Committee resolution.

Former PCC boss D Srinivas and former minister Mohammed Ali Shabbir, who were in Delhi on Monday, called on AICC state affairs incharge Digvijaya Singh separately and tried to know the mind of their Delhi bosses on Rayala Telangana.

After meeting the AICC point man, Srinivas, speaking to mediapersons, acknowledged that Rayala Telangana proposal was being discussed at the AICC level.

According to him, some Seemandhra leaders were pressurising the Centre to accept the proposal. He, however, exuded confidence that his party high command would not deviate from the CWC resolution which proposed T-state with 10 districts.

Assembly Views

Interestingly, Shabbir Ali made a different statement, saying, 'After meeting Digvijaya Singh today I understood that the Centre's decision on Rayala Telangana would depend on the views expressed by the AP Assembly on the T-bill.'

During the discussion on the bill, if MLAs from Kurnool and Anantapur want the two districts to be merged with the T-state, then the Centre might consider the Rayala Telangana option.

Later, T-Congress MPs led by Ponnam Prabhakar called on Union minister S Jaipal Reddy and asked him to exert pressure on the Centre not to go ahead with Rayala Telangana move, which was not acceptable to the people of Telangana.

After that, speaking to reporters, Jaipal Reddy said he was bitterly opposed to merging Anantapur and Kurnool districts with Telangana. 'It is not correct at this stage to bring such a proposal, which hurts the sentiments of the people of Telangana as well as Rayalaseema,' he said.

Recalling that Telangana consisted of 10 districts before its merger with Andhra, Reddy said it was not proper to disturb the boundaries while demerging it from Seemandhra.

Silent protest

Earlier in the day, TJAC leaders and TNGOs who are camping in Delhi, met D Srinivas and S Jaipal Reddy separately and urged them not to agree to Rayala Telangana.

Later, speaking to reporters, TJAC chairman Prof M Kodandaram said he was strongly opposed to the move.

'We are meeting the heads of CPI and other opposition parties on Tuesday to exert pressure on the Centre to deliver T-state as promised in the Congress Working Committee resolution. We will hold a silent protest in Delhi opposing Rayala Telangana,' he said.