HYDERABAD: The Congress high command issued a stern warning to its MPs and MLAs on Wednesday against going public with controversial statements on Telangana, and asked them to stop bickering forthwith.

Disciplinary action

"Those who do not fall in line will face severe disciplinary action" was the message the party high command conveyed to them in the form of a resolution adopted unanimously at an executive meeting of the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee and the Congress Legislature Party. The meeting resolved to leave the issue to AICC president Sonia Gandhi.

The AICC's crackdown had an instant effect on the two feuding Congress MPs — Sarve Satyanarayana and Lagadapati Rajagopal — who patched up their differences. The latter apologised for his remarks while Mr. Satyanarayana said the issue was closed.

AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh, who rushed here in the wake of the raging controversy, made it clear that "no leader shall air his views before the media on any controversy or enter into a slanging match. The high command is firm on this matter." Talking to the media, Mr. Singh admitted that partymen were entitled to hold views that may be different from the official line, but they could give vent to their feelings only to the Pradesh Congress Committee president, the Chief Minister or himself.

Allaying the Telangana leaders' fears, he said Ms. Gandhi needed more time to resolve the issue. But, the party remained committed to the Telangana cause, Mr. Singh said, adding that there was no move to wind up the UPA sub-committee on Telangana. He held that the Telangana Rashtra Samithi was still a member of the United Progressive Alliance and there was no question of fielding a candidate in the possible byelection to the Karimnangar Lok Sabha seat unless K. Chandrasekhar Rao pulled out of the alliance.

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