PC breather for T Congmen

Hyderabad: Union home minister P Chidambarams remarks on setting up of a committee for consultations on Telangana were welcomed by Congress leaders across the state on Thursday. Chidambaram , while replying to a question, provided an exit route to Telangana Congress legislators who were under pressure to resign and get them accepted as per the decision of the political JAC on Telangana. Reacting to Chidambarams remarks , Congress leaders from both the regions said that their campaign for T would continue. They are, however, hopeful that the people in the region would view this development in a positive way and allow them to move around in their districts and constituencies.
They also felt that in view of the assurance from Chidambaram, there was no need to resign and create a constitutional crisis.

On Thursday, MP G Vivek was stopped by T activists in Karimnagar town demanding his resignation from the Lok Sabha while, P Sudarshan Reddy, minister for medical education, was not allowed to visit his home town Nizamabad. Activists stopped his car and the minister had to be escorted out of the area with the help of police. The leaders also expressed reservations on the nature of the committee to be set up by the Centre, and hoped that it would be a time bound one with clear terms of reference.

Nizamabad MP Madhu Yashki said it was too early to say if they were satisfied by the statement. There is no clarity in Chidambarams remarks. We want a specific time frame for the committee to complete its job. Terms of reference of the committee have not been revealed. He hoped that this puts an end to the suicides of students. He also requested the JAC to wait till the first week of February for the next course of agitation. Similarly, MPs camping in the national capital also welcomed the Union ministers remarks.

P Prabhakar, convener of Congress MPs and Manda Jagannatham , Nagarkurnool MP, said: Its clear now that the Union government is committed to the creation of Telangana. So, TRS and Telangana JAC should not set deadlines for the Centre as the process of the creation has been set in motion , they said.
Government chief whip S Sailajanath , who hails from Rayalaseema , said though Chidambarams statement was welcome , he would wait for the terms of reference before reacting. What is important is that we should know what is the purpose of the committee: creation of Telangana or keeping the state united. Unless this is clear, simple statement does not make much difference , he said.
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OU students demand MLAs resignation
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Students of Osmania University (OU) will stage a dharna before the houses of MLAs and MPs hailing from the T belt demanding them to submit their resignations. OU joint action committee (JAC) representatives gave a call to students to prevent public representatives, who have not resigned from their posts, from stepping out of their houses. OU-JAC made the announcement on Thursday. The students who were miffed with the Union ministrys seemingly vague resolution of setting up a committee to discuss the T cause announced that all MLAs and MPs from the T belt should rest before Friday 10 am. They will have to face dire consequences. We are calling for a Chalo Praja Pratinidhula Illu Muttadi (seize the houses of public representatives) mode of protest from January 29, said a JAC member. The students said that they will also stage a Chalo Delhi yatra if the central government does not agree to the formation of a separate state.
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Security tightened at Assembly to quell T-trouble
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Hyderabad: In view of the proposed agitation by the Joint Action Committee of political parties on the Telangana issue on Friday, police tightened security arrangements at the Assembly and extended Section 144 up to February 1. Barricades have been erected on the road outside the Assembly to restrict the movement of vehicular traffic. Only those who hold valid entry passes will be allowed into the Assembly premises. Even vehicles with MLA stickers will be checked at the entry point and only if the occupants have passes they will be allowed inside.

The JAC on Wednesday night announced that the legislators of all parties would meet the Speaker on Friday and press for acceptance of their resignations . They also threatened to stage a dharna in front of the statue of Mahatma Gandhi, if situation warranted. The JAC also decided to take out a rally from its office at New MLA Quarters to Gunpark in front of the Assembly. Since this could lead to law and order problems, the police extended section 144 up to February 1 and police commissioner A K Khan said that if any one holds rallies or agitations in violation of section 144, they would be arrested. In addition, heavy police force including Rapid Action Force (RAF) is being deployed in and around the Assembly to meet any challenge.

Apart from tightening security around the Assembly , police have set up pickets at the houses of ministers Danam Nagender and Mukhesh Goud and MLAs Sashidhar Reddy , Sudheer Reddy and Raji Reddy. Similar pickets have also been set up at ministers quarters at Banjara Hills and MLAs colonies in the city. On Thursday morning, A K Khan held a meeting with all the senior police officials in the city to review the security arrangements . In addition to 9,000 city police personnel, about 100 platoons of APSP and paramilitary forces will also be deployed in the city. Five senior police officers have been made incharges of various zones in the city. Traffic additional commissioner M Hanumantha Rao is the incharge of West Zone, joint commissioner (C&S ) PSR Anjaneyulu for East Zone, additional commissioner (crime) N Narasimha Reddy for Central Zone, additional commissioner (coordination ) T Krishna Raju for North Zone and joint commissioner (administration ) Atul Singh for South Zone.
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(SOURCE: TOI)