The Hindu : Front Page : APCC chief urges Sonia to act fast

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APCC chief urges Sonia to act fast

‘High expectations on road map to settle statehood issue’

HYDERABAD: Lack of any forward movement after Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram’s meeting with eight political parties on January 5 in New Delhi on the Telangana issue was creating confusion among the people of all regions.

This was reportedly communicated by AP Congress Committee president D. Srinivas to AICC chief Sonia Gandhi, when he called on her in New Delhi on Friday. Urging her to act fast so that the continuity since January 5 was sustained, he was quoted as saying that some fresh initiative by the Centre was needed to retain the confidence of people in the government.

Sources said the APCC president explained to Ms. Gandhi about the high expectations among the people on the specific mechanism and road map to settle the statehood issue.

“The process of announcing the mechanism has to be expedited,” he is believed to have said. Ms. Gandhi is said to have expressed deep anguish at the increasing number of suicides in the Telangana region.

Talking to reporters after his meeting, Mr. Srinivas said Ms. Gandhi was serious about the Telangana issue. She expressed the view that agitations should be peaceful and people should observe restraint. “I explained to her the prevailing political situation in the State,” he pointed out.

Telangana Congress leaders met again here to discuss the composition of the Political Action Committee that would chalk out separate programmes.

They were at pains to clarify that the PAC was not a parallel body to counter the Telangana JAC. They had only highlighted certain shortcomings in the JAC’s functioning and wanted the constituents to set them right.

Long time

A senior party leader said the PAC was similar to committees constituted by other political parties. The PAC would plan programmes keeping in view the long time it would take to create separate Telangana. Sources said the JAC leaders contacted Telangana MLAs and reportedly agreed with the contents of the letter written by them.

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