Stepping up the heat, Congress MPs from Telangana on Friday appealed to party president Sonia Gandhi to announce decision on creation of a separate state as promised by January 28, failing which they threatened a showdown with party.
There was, however, a division among the MPs on the issue of whether or not to quit the party with some favouring the move and others disagreeing.
Six MPs turned up for a meeting at Manda Jagannatham’s house here on Friday and after hectic parleys, made an appeal to Mrs Gandhi reminding her of Union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde’s promise of announcing a decision on the statehood demand within a month from December 28.
“We want you to take a decision in favour of Telangana by the 28th,” the MPs requested their party chief. “We will meet on the 29th to chalk out our future course of action if our demand is not conceded,” they warned after the meeting. “We are ready for a showdown with the party if it does not keep its word on creation of Telangana state,” they said.
The MPs spit fire on AICC general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad over his statements two days ago on the statehood issue. “Azad has insulted the Union home minister who is a dalit,” Mr Manda Jagannatham lashed out.
“Azad’s comments amount to betraying the people of Telangana once again. We can convince people once or twice (on the delay in coming out with a decision). The Congress’ prestige will only diminish further if the Centre drags its feet,” he said.
Former MP K. Keshava Rao, who also took part in the meeting, too found fault with Mr Azad’s remarks and strongly condemned them.
The Telanagana Congress MPs spoke in different voices on the issue of quitting the party.
While Mr Manda, Gutta Sukhender Reddy and G. Vivekananda dropped enough hints that they will quit the party if it did not honour its word on Telangana, Ponnam Prabhakar and Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy differed with them.
“If Telangana state can be achieved by changing the party, I am ready for it. But resignations will not achieve anything,” Mr Ponnam observed.
Though he spoke belligerently against the party, Rajagopal Reddy, too, said he will not submit his resignation. “We are ready for a showdown with the party. We will show our might and stall Parliament during the Budget Session if Telangana is not granted,” he added.