PM Manmohan Singh said he understands the separate statehood demand and gave an assurance that the Centre will make all efforts to find a solution soon.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today stepped in to defuse the Telangana crisis by saying that he "completely understands" the separate statehood demand and gave an assurance that a solution to resolve the vexed issue would be found soon.
Meeting TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao and Congress leaders from the agitation-hit region separately during the day, Singh told both the delegations that he would brief the party leadership, including its chief Sonia Gandhi, and the Core Group on his deliberations with them.
Rao, accompanied by Telangana Joint Action Committee chief K Kodhandaram, briefed Singh about the "grave situation" in Telangana region and how all 10 districts there are "boiling" due to the general strike in support of the demand.
The TRS chief, who is the political face of the Telangana movement, asked the prime minister to "expedite" the decision on the statehood demand and told him there was no need for "further consultation" on the issue, that has divided the state virtually on regional lines.
"We explained to the prime minister the grave situation that exists in Telangana today. We told him that an early decision would do good to defuse the situation. He said he completely understands the Telangana demand and aspirations of the people," KT Ramarao, TRS MLA and Rao's son, told PTI after the meeting.
Ramarao, who was part of the delegation, said the prime minister told them that a solution was being worked out to resolve the issue.
"He commended the way the agitation is being carried out peacefully for the past three weeks. He said the agitation was peaceful and he also told us that a solution would soon emerge," he said.
As the general strike in Telangana entered its 22nd day, Congress leaders, including senior Minister J Geetha Reddy and K Jana Reddy, briefed Singh about the situation in the region and the "urgent need" for Centre's intervention as people were not in a "mood even to celebrate upcoming festivals".
The delegation that included ministers, MPs and an MLC told the prime minister that the Centre should announce a "time-frame" for taking a decision on the separate issue as "time is running out."
"We briefed the prime minister of what is happening in Andhra Pradesh, in Telangana region. He knows the Telangana issue and the problems. We briefed him in detail about the strike that is being supported by every section of the society," Geetha Reddy told reporters after the 30-minute meeting at the PM's 7, Race Course Road Residence.
"He expressed his understanding and sympathies to us. He said we need to solve the problem. He also told us that we will try to solve it as soon as possible," Geetha Reddy said.
The leaders told Singh that they would assure that the safety and security of people of non-Telangana regions in Hyderabad would be protected if a separate Telangana state is formed.
They also asked Singh to advice Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy not to show "apathy" towards the Telangana region.
Geetha Reddy said Singh told them that he would talk to Gandhi on the issue and would place all their demands before the Congress Core Committee.
"He did not give us any assurance but he did tell us that he would talk to Congress president Sonia Gandhi and put their demands before Congress core committee," Reddy said when asked about the Singh's response to their demands.
She said the delegation members told Singh that there should be some kind of a "time-frame" like six months or so to arrive at a decision.
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