Chandrababu demands "official" panel on concerns of Seemandhra

Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu today demanded constitution of an "official" committee to address the concerns of people from Andhra-Rayalaseema regions, alleging that the A K Antony committee appointed by Centre on the issue is Congress' "internal arrangement".
The TDP chief lashed out at Congress for "messing up" the sensitive issue of division of Andhra Pradesh by taking a "unilateral and hasty" decision without taking all stake-holders into confidence.
"The four-member A K Antony committee is an internal one of the Congress party. Why would we present our case to it? ...As people of (Andhra-Rayalaseema) regions are grossly agitated, the Centre should constitute an official committee and talk to all stakeholders to resolve the issue amicably," Chandrababu told reporters here today.

Congress had last week set up a four-member committee headed by Defence Minister A K Antony to address concerns arising out of the decision to create a separate Telangana state out of Andhra Pradesh.
Chandrababu said division of the state was an emotive issue which Congress government "miserably" failed to handle.
"People (in coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema) are emotionally disturbed as Congress sought to stoke fire among Telugu people, forgetting that it is in power (at the Centre) since 2004 solely because of them. The Congress, which does not believe in democracy, is trying to derive sadistic pleasure," he said.

The TDP chief accused Finance Minister P Chidambaram and AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh of having made "egoistic and reckless" statements on the division of state.
"Did Chidambaram read what the Srikrishna Committee recommended?...Does he have any understanding of Srikrishna Committee report?" Chandrababu said referring to Chidambaram's statement in Rajya Sabha last night in which the finance minister quoted the fifth recommendation of the Srikrishna Committee.