Congress leaders hail Chidambaram statement

Telangana Congress MLAs are a relieved lot as the pressure for resigning from the Assembly to honour the Joint Aaction Committee (JAC) deadline is off their minds after Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram’s statement on constituting a panel on Telangana.

Equally satisfied are the Andhra and Rayalaseema Congress leaders, who feel the panel will give them an opportunity to forcefully put forward their views against bifurcation. They hope to cash in on the panel’s constitution to fearlessly raise its reservations on the separate statehood issue.

APCC president D. Srinivas said all political parties should welcome the initiative and extend cooperation so that the process is completed at the earliest. “Political parties should not precipitate the issue.”

Further he said: “In my view, formation of a committee on such a sensitive problem with eminent people is not an easy task because one should be prepared to associate with such a task. In spite of all this, the Home Minister’s announcement should satisfy people of the State.”

Senior Congress leaders K. Jana Reddy and R. Damodar Reddy exuded confidence that separate State would become a reality in six or seven months.

Mr. Jana Reddy said there was no need for any further agitations and appealed for peace and tranquillity.

Rajahmundry MP Vundavalli Arunkumar said the panel would be set up to look into the problems confronted during bifurcation of the State.