Published: 29th December 2012 11:27 AM | Last Updated: 29th December 2012 11:27 AM
HYDERABAD: Inside accounts of the proceedings of the all-party meeting on Telangana on Friday indicated that the Centre is mulling a power plus money option for Telangana, short of separate statehood.
In other words a juicy devolution package.
Hinting at a financial package and a regional development council for Telangana, Union home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde is understood to have said during the meeting, “Similar to Telangana, there was an agitation for a Gorkhaland state too.
The government has taken a decision on Gorkhaland.
But the Telangana issue is still pending.
So we want to take a decision.
We will announce a decision in a month’s time.
” Since the Gorkhaland issue was resolved by setting up a regional council, political circles expect that Telangana too will be offered the same solution.
After hearing out all the eight political parties invited to the meeting, Shinde reportedly said, “I will convey all your viewpoints to the Centre and the Congress high command so as to take a decision in a month.
When I say one month, it could be one month or eight days or six.
But it will take maximum 30 days.
” Pieced together from insider accounts, here is a blowby- blow account of the allparty meet.
The meeting at North Block commenced at 10.
16 a.
m.
As soon as Shinde entered the hall, he greeted all the delegates.
Before asking each party by turn to spell out its stance, he said,”I know everything about the Telangana issue.
The statehood demand has been there for several years.
After considering the opinions of all political parties, the Centre announced steps towards a Telangana state on Dec.
9, 2009.
But after facing opposition from the other regions and some parties, the Centre made another announcement on Dec.
23, 2009.
Now I request you all to express your views.
”
However, the opposition parties replied that their opinions are already on record, so it was for the Congress and the Centre to speak their mind.
They demanded that the Centre and the Congress should speak first.
They also asked the Union home minister to divulge what proposals the Centre was weighing.
When Shinde did not take the bait, CPM state secretary B V Raghuvulu got up from his seat and threatened to walk out if the Congress does not start off the deliberations first.
At this, the Congress representative from Telangana K R S u r e s h Re d d y said,”Congress is for two states.
A Telangana state must be formed.
” As his Seemandhra comrade, Gade Venkat Reddy, was expressing his opposition to bifurcation, Shinde intervened and posed a question to the leaders: “What else is there? It seems the Congress is saying that it is for bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh?” Raghavulu intervened and said,”If so, please record this in the minutes book.
We all will put signatures as witnesses.
” Shinde replied that the minutes of the meeting were not being recorded.
Confusion prevailed for a while as the delegates exhanged asides that this was a curious way of conducting a meeting.
Shinde appealed for calm, saying, “We all should behave in a proper manner.
If you continue disrupting the proceedings, I will go to my room and sit there.
Then you all will have to come there one by one and express your opinions.
” There was silence and then the representatives agreed to speak in alphabetical order.
BJP: We are for division
BJP state president G Kishan Reddy submitted a letter to Shinde, saying his party was in favour of bifurcation.
He assured Shinde that the BJP will back a Telangana bill if introduced in Parliament.
CPI: Bifurcate the state immediately
CPI representatives K Narayana and Gunda Mallesh demanded immediate bifurcation of the state if the Centre was really concerned about development of AP.
CPM: Immediate decision wanted
CPM leader Raghavulu said his party was for keeping Andhra Pradesh as it is.
However, the Centre’s indecisiveness has created uncertainty in the state.
Hence, the Centre should take an immediate decision on the issue.
TRS: Separate State.
Now! TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao demanded that the Centre must make it clear whether it will create a Telangana or nor.
He said the Dec.
9 pledge was the only statement on which the Centre has gone back after informing Parliament of it.
Fellow delegate Narasimha Reddy demanded immediate steps towards Telangana.
TDP: Here are two letters
TDP leader Yanamala Ramakrishnudu handed over two letters in sealed covers to Shinde on behalf of his party boss, saying that the TDP had submitted a letter to the Pranab Mukherjee committee in 2008 in support of a Telangana state.
“Now we are giving you that letter along with our party chief’s fresh letter that since we did not take back the previous letter on Telangana, the Centre should resolve the issue now.
” TRS attacks TDP’s double stance
TRS delegate Narasimha Reddy intervened and asked the TDP, “But you people had made an aboutturn when the Centre promised a Telangana state on Dec.
9, 2009.
What about that?” Shinde intervened and asked Reddy not to argue with the TDP leaders: “Let them say their views.
This is not a forum to criticise one another”.
MIM Asad argues with CM
MIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi said his party favours a united Andhra Pradesh.
If division is inevitable, then a Rayala-Telangana state should be formed with Hyderabad as its capital.
Having said this, the MIM boss turned his attention to chief minister Kiran Kumar Reddy, who was invited to the meeting, alleging that soon after he assumed office, the police have started harassing Muslim youth with false cases.
There was a heated argument between Asad and Kiran Reddy.
Shinde pacified them.
Onus on Centre, YSRC says in Telugu
The YSRC took the last turn.
M V Mysoora Reddy spoke in Telugu saying that since the World Telugu Conference was being held, he would speak in Telugu.
He submitted a letter to Shinde saying that his party plenary had passed a resolution that it would respect the sentiments of the people of Telangana.
The Center should take a decision like a father without harming the interests of anybody, he added.
Gade: We are for Samaikyandhra
The Congress representative from Seemandhra, Gade Venkata Reddy, earlier interrupted by Shinde, go to express his opinions last.
He recalled the history of Telugus and recollected the comments made by Jawaharlal Nehru at the time of merger of Telangana with Andhra.
He also recalled the remarks of Indira Gandhi during the 1969 agitation.
Saying that his opinion was for united Andhra Pradesh, he submitted a letter to Shinde.
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