Notwithstanding protests against creation of Telangana out of Andhra Pradesh, the government today asserted that it will go ahead with formation of the new state but refused to give any timeline for the same.
Finance Minister P Chidambaram, speaking in the Rajya Sabha on behalf of indisposed Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, rejected the opposition allegation that the decision to form Telangana state was taken in a haste.
Replying to a debate on Telangana formation, he said the government will look into all issues of concern like the status of Hyderabad, sharing of river waters and security aspects.
"I cannot give a date. The process will be taken forward in accordance with the procedure and precedence," he said when asked by Leader of Opposition Arun Jaitley on whether the government was determined to form the new state despite opposition from within and outside.
He, however, said this process will not take as long as it took while forming the states of Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh, which took about two years.
"Every political party's view will be kept in mind before the government takes a decision on how to take forward the process of Telanagana formation," Chidambaram said on behalf of an indisposed Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde.
He was responding after Opposition members came down heavily on the Government over Telangana, accusing it of trying to score political points by taking a hurried decision after sitting on the sensitive issue for four years.
The government was accused of acting in an "autocratic" manner and playing a "dangerous game".
Brushing aside criticism, Chidambaram said, "The more you accuse the Congress party, the more you abuse the Congress party, the Congress party will become stronger and stronger."
Hitting out at those opposing the decision, he said, "These are matters in which politics overtakes reason and logic. You are damned if you do, you are damned if you don't.
