The Hindu : New Delhi News : SRC: keep mum, Sonia tells Congressmen

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SRC: keep mum, Sonia tells Congressmen

Special Correspondent

Chief Minister meets party president in New Delhi

Sharing views: Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram with Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy in New Delhi on Wednesday.

NEW DELHI: In a bid to put a lid on the controversy raging in Andhra Pradesh over the setting up of a second State Reorganisation Commission (SRC), Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday asked the party leadership not to talk about it or the Telangana issue in public.

This was disclosed by Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy after a meeting with Ms. Gandhi early in the day. According to Dr. Reddy, the “party high command has said that no one including me should talk about SRC/Telangana issue in public as the high command is seized of the matter”.

The Chief Minister met Ms. Gandhi along with Congress Working Committee member and in-charge of Andhra Pradesh Veerappa Moily whose comments on SRC had kicked up a furore. During a visit to the State, Mr. Moily had indicated that the Government was actively considering a second SRC but went back on this statement later.

Dr. Reddy, however, refused to dwell on the controversy at the press conference. Stating that it was for Ms. Gandhi to decide, he said no time-frame had been set. “I am confident that she will announce an appropriate decision at the appropriate time. It is for the Congress high command and Ms. Gandhi to discuss with other political parties inside and outside the United Progressive Alliance to arrive at a decision.”

On the adverse impact of any delay in a decision on the party’s electoral prospects, the Chief Minister was confident that it would not affect the Congress politically as the party-led administration was fulfilling the mandate given to it on all fronts.

PM’s clarification

Meanwhile, responding to questions on this count at the party’s routine briefing later in the day, Congress spokesman Abhishek Singhvi said the Prime Minister had clarified that a second SRC was not under consideration. Further, he added that Telangana was a standalone issue and it was being looked into by a committee under the chairmanship of External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee.

Further, Dr. Reddy informed the media that Ms. Gandhi had agreed to inaugurate the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at Shamshabad and the Gangavaram Port near Vizag.

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