We are alive to situation over Telangana: Manmohan

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday said the government understood the situation in Andhra Pradesh over the Telangana issue and would deal with the problem appropriately.

He conveyed this to a group of 11 Congress Lok Sabha members from Telangana who met him in Parliament House and sought stopping of police repression on students on the Osmania University campus, withdrawal of cases filed against them and an early solution to the issue as the people were pressuring the elected representatives to quit their posts.

The MPs expressed their disappointment over non-mention of the Telangana issue in the President’s address to Parliament.

According to the Peddapalli MP, G. Vivekanand, Dr. Singh said: “I can understand the situation in Telangana. We will deal with the situation.”

Concern over deaths

Madhu Yaski (Nizamabad) said Dr. Singh told them that the government was working out a solution and also expressed concern over the deaths of people during the agitation.

Earlier, during the President’s address, some Telangana MPs wore black shirts and waved placards — which read “Jai Telangana, Jai Congress” — demanding the creation of a separate State. They staged a protest near the Gandhi statue in the Parliament complex and mourned student Yadaiah, who immolated himself recently in Hyderabad pressing for a separate State.

The MPs claimed that after the President’s address they observed a two-minute silence in the Central Hall in memory of those who laid down their lives for the cause of Telangana.

Meanwhile, Congress spokesman Abhishek Singhvi said it was not necessary for the President to comment on every issue. Non-mention of an issue did not mean it had been left out of the policy of the government and the Cabinet.

He denied that the government was not according priority to the Telangana issue. “It has got so much priority that it has now gone on the process of a committee.”

Comprehensive look

Mr. Singhvi said a comprehensive look at the issue was being taken as the committee was set up after detailed deliberations and the process should be allowed its time. Raking up the issue without allowing the process to unfold could only impede the progress.