Don't act in haste, Azad tells Telangana leaders
Hyderabad, July 1 (IANS) The central leadership of the Congress has advised its MPs and state legislators from the Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh not to act in haste over the issue of a separate state, saying no problem can be solved through resignations.
Reacting to the decision of Congress MPs, ministers and legislators from Telangana to resign on Monday to protest the delay in carving out a separate Telangana state, Congress general secretary Gulam Nabi Azad said it is not a small issue which can be solved in two or four days.
Azad, who was in Hyderabad to attend a convention of Dalit Christians, told reporters that the Telangana issue is linked to other states.
"Bifurcation of a state is not a small issue. It is linked with other states of the country. Therefore, whatever we do we have to do carefully," said Azad, who is in charge of party affairs in Andhra Pradesh.
The central leader claimed that central and state governments are trying to evolve a consensus over the issue by holding talks with political parties not just in the state but also other regional and national parties.
"Bifurcation of a state will have an impact on the entire country. Therefore there should be consensus not only in the state but also at the national level," he observed.
Azad said the decision on Telangana would be taken in the interest of the country and the people of all three regions of the state.
"We have to hear people of all three regions and respect their sentiments before taking a decision," he added.