Congress firm on Telangana decision: Digvijaya

Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh Thursday said the party leadership was firm on its decision to carve out separate Telangana and made it clear that there would be no going back.

He told reporters in the national capital that the concerns raised by people of Seemandhra (Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra) would be addressed in the draft bill.

He reiterated that the union home ministry was drafting Telangana resolution and hinted that the same may be put submitted to the cabinet in the first week of October.

Appealing to people of Seemandhra to live in harmony as they had been doing, he said a political decision to bifurcate the state was taken after due consultations with all sections of society and political parties.

"The decision was taken after near consensus among political parties. Let us not go back. It is easy for regional parties to go back but a party like Congress with great heritage and history can't go back on a decision," he said.

He was referring to Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and YSR Congress party taking a u-turn to oppose the decision.

"We are firm on the decision taken on popular demand. As far as the issues raised by people of Seemandhra like sharing of river water, capital, revenue, education, employment and division of cadre are concerned, they can be discussed when draft bill is prepared," he said.

He said A.K. Antony committee was looking into the issues and its suggestions would be incorporated in the draft bill.

When his attention was drawn to Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy's statement that the concerns of Seemandhra people were important than the party, Digvijaya reminded him that he is the chief minister of the whole of Andhra Pradesh and not just Seemandhra.