The Telangana Joint Action Committee ( JAC), which had set Thursday as the deadline for the Centre to announce a time-bound programme for formation of a separate Telangana state, is not satisfied with Union home minister P Chidambaram’s disclosure that a committee to examine the demand for a separate statehood for the region would be announced next week.
“Chidambaram’s statement is not up to our expectations. There is no clarity in the statement and he has not responded to our demand for announcement of time-bound programme,” JAC convenor M Kodandaram said.
The JAC, comprising representatives of the Congress, Telangana Rashtra Samithi, Telugu Desam Party, Bharatiya Janata Party and some pro-Telangana organisation, has decided to meet on Friday morning to discuss the future course of action.
The committee had earlier decided that legislators of all parties hailing from the Telangana region should meet the Assembly Speaker on Friday and press for acceptance of their resignation letters if the Centre did not announce a time-bound programme.
Chidambaram told mediapersons in Delhi that the Centre had more or less finalised the names of the members of the proposed committee and it would be announced next week.
Reacting to this, TDP legislator Nagam Janardhan Reddy said there was no clarity over the purpose and objectives of the proposed committee. TRS floor leader in the Assembly E Rajender also said the people of Telangana would not be satisfied with such announcements.
The Osmania University student JAC stated it had no faith in such committees and decided to continue the separate Telangana agitation till a time-bound programme was announced. BJP leader Indrasena Reddy said the movement should be continued till a Bill seeking formation of separate Telangana state was introduced in Parliament.
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On the other hand, Congress leaders hailing from the Telangana region expressed satisfaction over Chidambaram's statement which, according to them, indicated that the Centre had taken a positive step towards according separate statehood to the Telangana region.
Meanwhile, police have imposed Section 144 in Hyderabad till February 1 ruling out any scope for holding rallies and dharnas in the state capital for the next few days.