Unfinished agenda:Telangana Congress leaders after meeting Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram at his office in New Delhi on Wednesday.
NEW DELHI: A delegation of more than 60 Congress MPs, MLAs, MLCs and State Ministers from Telangana on Wednesday met Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram to press their demand for carving out a separate Telangana State.
Their meeting with the Home Minister lasted for nearly 20 minutes and the members of the delegation were left to fend for themselves over the next couple of hours in the conference room of the North Block, discussing among themselves the situation prevailing in Telangana region and their future course of action.
The members of the delegation appeared sore over getting “very little” time to meet the Home Minister and they stayed put in the conference hall for next two hours.
“We have met the Home Minister and placed our demand. Unfortunately, he was in a hurry to go for another meeting. So, our people are unhappy as the Home Minister gave us very little time,” Rajya Sabha member V. Hanumantha Rao told journalists. Senior Congress leader K. Keshava Rao, also a Rajya Sabha member, said that except his party, all other political parties in Andhra Pradesh have clarified their position on the issue and it was high time the Congress made up its mind.
“We know the Home Minister is not in a position to take a decision. But we thought that it is appropriate to come and apprise him with people's feelings as he has been involved in the process,” he added.
Mr. Rao said the members of the delegation were “unhappy, hurt and disappointed” over the fact that they had earlier met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who heard the delegation for nearly 45 minutes but the Home Minister could spare only a few minutes for them.
He also brushed aside the suggestion for constituting a Gorkhaland Autonomous Council-type authority for Telangana region.
Some of the members said they would be forced to intensify their agitation if no decision was taken in the next few days. The delegation included 13 MPs, 10 State Ministers, 28 MLAs, 13 MLCs, all from Congress, belonging to the Telangana region.
After listening to their demand and their views on the situation prevailing in the region, Mr. Chidambaram told them that he would have to leave to attend the Lok Pal panel's joint meeting scheduled for 4 p.m.
The members of the delegation appeared sore over what they termed as “lack of sensitivity and urgency” over an emotive issue like Telangana.
The delegation also met Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and the meeting continued till late on Wednesday night.
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