In an attempt to put pressure on the state and central leadership of the party, Congress Lok Sabha Members from Telangana have decided to sit on an indefinite fast from Monday at Gun Park, opposite the state Assembly here, protesting against the government’s refusal to withdraw cases against students who agitated for a separate state earlier this year.
Congress leaders including ministers, MLAs and MPs from Telangana region have also threatened to resign if the Centre does not allow a separate state by the next Budget Session of Parliament.
A memorandum stating this demand would be submitted to the Congress president, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, soon and a signature campaign has already begun for this. The T-leaders have also threatened to resign if the Justice Srikrishna panel does not recommend a separate state.
This will be the third fast that the state is witnessing, after the eight-day hunger strike of the TD chief, Mr N. Chandrababu Naidu, and the 48-hour “deeksha” by the ex-MP, Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy: both those fasts were on behalf of farmers.
Seven ministers, more than a dozen MLAs and seven MPs from Telangana took the decisions at a three-hour meeting at the New MLAs quarters on Sunday afternoon.
The ministers who attended the meeting included Mr K. Jana Reddy, Ms D.K. Aruna, Ms Sunita Laxma Reddy, Mr Jupally Krishna Rao, Dr P. Shanker Rao, Mr Basavaraj Saraiah and Mr D. Sridhar Babu.
Talking to mediapersons later, the Rajya Sabha member, Dr K. Kesava Rao, said the meeting appealed to the Chief Minister, Mr N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, to immediately announce withdrawal of all cases on students by Sunday night.
Mr Keshava Rao said the Telangana Congress leaders had discussed the matter with the Chief Minister on December 20 at Delhi and gave him time till December 25 to take a decision.