New Delhi, July 19 (IANS) Tribal Affairs and Panchayati Raj Minister Kishore Chandra Deo Tuesday opposed the resignations by MPs and legislators from Andhra Pradesh's Telangana region to build pressure over their demand for a separate state, saying the Congress leadership could not be coerced into action.


If resignations could create a new state, then hundreds of resignations will come from different parts of the country, said Deo, an MP from Andhra Pradesh.

He said that the Congress central leadership will take a decision on the vexed issue in view of opposing demands from party leaders from the Telangana and non-Telangana regions.

"I do not think the party is going to act under pressure," he said, answering queries from media persons here.

Deo's remarks came on a day Congress legislators from non-Telangana regions of the state met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and demanded that Andhra Pradesh should not be bifurcated.

Ministers, MPs, legislators and leaders from the coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions, who are in Delhi, are also expected to meet other party leaders to convey their viewpoint.

The leaders said prime minister had told them that he would convey their sentiments to Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, who is the party in-charge of Andhra Pradesh.

Fifteen MPs and over 100 legislators, belonging to various parties including Congress, from Telangana submitted their resignations early this month to press the demand for a separate state.