Congress core group discusses Telangana

The Congress' core committee was compelled to hold a meeting today to discuss the controversial demand for a separate Telangana, after violent protests by pro-Telangana groups in Hyderabad.

The group, chaired by Sonia Gandhi with the prime minister and the top brass of the party in attendance, was also attended by Andhra Pradesh in-charge, Ghulam Nabi Azad.

The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance has been averse from biting the bullet, as the party in Andhra Pradesh is deeply divided over the issue. With the party vacillating for long, several leaders in the state like Keshava Rao have already quit the party and joined the Telangana Rashtriya Samithi, alleging "betrayal" by the Congress.

Significantly, it is Andhra Pradesh which had brought in the highest number of Lok Sabha members for the Congress in 2009.

Assembly polls are slated in the state in 2014, coinciding with the general elections. The party has been making noises about trying to address 'all concerns' and take an 'informed decision.'

The official line the Congress maintains is, "We are not averse to creation of smaller states including Telangana."

1,400 Telangana activists held after violent protests
1,400 pro-Telangana activists were today held in preventive custody in Hyderabad after the police foiled the 'Chalo Assembly' protest march of various pro-Telangana parties including the TRS and the Bharatiya Janata Party. All roads leading to the legislature building were blocked by police.

Several roads leading to the Legislative Assembly were closed and only government, emergency personnel and media persons were allowed after thorough checks on way to the Assembly and Secretariat buildings.

Around 900 protesters were taken into preventive custody under the Hyderabad Police Commissionerate, while 476 were taken into custody under Cyberabad Police Commissionerate, a police officer said. Those taken into custody were later let off, he said.

The police had denied permission to the protest rally, suspecting that Maoists might infiltrate into it. Similar protests organised by pro-Telangana groups earlier had turned violent.

PTI