All-party meeting on Telangana soon, says Chidambaram

With the agitation for a Telangana state intensifying, Home Minister P Chidambaram on Friday said an all-party meeting to discuss the issue will be convened soon after parties from Andhra Pradesh, including the ruling Congress, convey their position to the government. 

"An important stage of consultations appears to be over. Azad (Ghulam Nabi Azad, in-charge of Congress affairs in Andhra Pradesh), will present report to the government,” Chidambaram told reporters in his monthly interaction with the media.

"The TDP and MIM (Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen) are waiting to see what is the Congress position. We are waiting for the official position of all parties, after which we will convene an all-party meeting,” he said.

Meanwhile, a day-long Hyderabad shutdown called Friday by the Telangana Joint Action Committee (JAC) as part of the ongoing "people's strike" for a separate Telangana state evoked partial response.

Shops, business establishments and petrol bunks were closed in some parts of the Andhra Pradesh capital but remained open in other  areas. Majority of the educational institutions declared a holiday as a precautionary measure.