TRS, which is spearheading the campaign for a separate state, and leaders from Telangana region today rejected the six main recommendations of the Justice Srikrishna Committee on the statehood issue and asserted that they would not accept anything short of a separate state.
Reacting to the Committee's report made public earlier in the day, Telugu Desam Telangana Forum convenor Nagam Janardhana Reddy demanded that the Centre table a Bill in the Budget session of Parliament for creation of Telangana state irrespective of the recommendations of the panel.
"The six recommendations have also compounded the chaos. They are an insult to the sentiments of Telangana people. The Government of India has no other option but to respect the people's sentiment and create Telangana," he said.
Telangana Rashtra Samiti MLA K T Rama Rao said, "The Committee may have suggested six options and the Centre may be mulling over 600 options. But the sole option before the Telangana people is the creation of a separate state. Nothing short of a separate state, including Hyderabad, will be accepted at any cost.
"We hope wisdom will prevail and Centre will take the right choice and live up to the promise," Rao, son on TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao, said.
Congress legislators from Telangana too echoed similar feelings saying the Centre should carve out a separate state as per its statement on December 9, 2009.
"We want Telangana state and nothing else. We hope the Centre will respect the wishes of the people of the region and grant statehood," Telangana Congress legislators, including R Damodar Reddy, Gandra Venkata Ramana Reddy, Rajaiah and Yadav Reddy said.
Academician and MLC Chukka Ramaiah too said nothing short of a separate Telangana state would do.
Lok Satta Party spokesman Katari Srinivasa Rao said everyone should first study the Committee's report in detail. "All political parties and people should ensure that peace prevails so that the Centre can take an appropriate decision."
Meanwhile, some protestors torched a government bus in the Osmania University campus after the panel's report was out. Last night too a city bus was set ablaze, police said.
However, Andhra Pradesh CPI(M) leader B V Raghavulu said status quo should be maintained on Telangana issue and the Centre should come out with a solution.
"We want status quo to be maintained and urge the Centre to come with a solution. Such discussions would be of no use. We hope in the next meeting, the Centre comes with some solution," he said.
