Chandrababu Naidu walks out of NIC meeting over Telangana

He walked out in protest against the move to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh

TDP chief and former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu today walked out of the National Integration Council meeting here in protest against the move to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh.

During the meeting, which was convened to discuss the growing incidents of communal violence, attack on women and atrocities on SCs and STs, Naidu wanted to raise the issue of Telangana and bring Central government's attention to the continuous protests in Seemandhra region against the bifurcation move.

Naidu said when he raised the issue, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi objected to it and told him that NIC was not the forum to discuss the Telangana issue.

Gandhi was immediately joined by Finance Minister P Chidambaram and Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde in preventing Naidu to raise the issue of bifurcating Andhra Pradesh.

The TDP chief said Chidambaram told him that he would not be allowed to speak on Telangana in the NIC meeting and if he wishes, he can walk out of the meeting, which he did.

"My point is, if I am not allowed to speak such a serious issue in such a forum where top leadership of the country is present, where will I go," he asked.

Naidu said there is continuous tension in entire Seemandhra and protests and strike has crippled the region.

The Congress Working Committee, which met on July 30, passed a resolution requesting the Centre "to take steps in accordance with the Constitution to form a separate state of Telangana...Within a definite timeframe".