Ensure shorter time-frame for Telangana panel: TRS tells governor

TRS today appealed to Andhra Pradesh governor ESL Narasimhan to use his good offices for fixing a lesser time-frame for the proposed committee to be appointed by the Centre to go into the Telangana issue.

"The governor told us to maintain peace which is returning to the state. We requested him to see that the committee, to be appointed by the Centre, would have a less time-frame," party President K Chandrasekhar Rao told reporters after a meeting with the Governor here.

Union home minister P Chidambaram had announced that a committee to go into the Telangana statehood issue would be appointed this week.

Rao appealed to the governor to direct the government to withdraw the police cases filed against students during the pro-Telangana agitation.

"Home minister Chidambaram had promised that the police cases against students and other Telangana supporters, registered from November 29 to December nine, would be withdrawn. That is still pending. We urged him to direct the government to withdraw all such cases as promised," he said.

The governor promised to give a direction the government on the matter, the former Union minister claimed. Rao condemned the reported incident of state Congress chief D Srinivas being asked to 'go back' at Tirupati yesterday for being pro-Telangana.

"The incident happened in the presence of the chief minister. This is a provocation for Telangana protagonists. I condemn this incident."