Telengana an important part of the UPA-II agenda, says Chacko

Insisting that the Telangana problem is very much on the UPA's national agenda, Congress leader P. C. Chacko on Sunday said the party is aware of the sentiments of the people from that region and a decision will be taken as soon as the ongoing consultation process is over.

In a statement, Chacko said his comments on Telangana on Saturday at a press conference were misunderstood and misconstrued as if the issue is not a part of the UPA's agenda.

"Telangana is very much part of the UPA agenda and a decision on this issue will be taken at the appropriate time.

"The Congress party is aware of the sentiments of the people of Telangana and a decision will be taken as soon as the consultation process is over," Chacko clarified in the statement.

Explaining his comments, Chacko said he had been listing the various milestones and reforms introduced by the UPA in accordance to its manifesto when, in reply to a question on Telangana, he had said that it is not part of the manifesto.

He said some newspapers had then gone on to report that Telangana is not a part of the national agenda, responding to which he issued the clarification on Sunday.