Seemandhra MPs lodge protest, Antony panel to visit the state

The panel will look into the grievances arising out of the decision on Telangana

A high-level Congress panel tasked with looking into grievances arising out of decision on Telangana will visit Andhra Pradesh after Monsoon Session as protests continue in Seemandhra region against bifurcation of the state.

The decision was taken last night after Union Ministers and MPs from Seemandhra region lodged their protest with A K Antony committee over the government announcing its intent to fast forward its move for creation of a separate Telangana.

Other members of the Committee are Union Minister Veerappa Moily, AICC General Secretary Digvijay Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi's political secretary Ahmed Patel.

Party MP Lagdapati Rajagopal, who was part of the delegation that met the Antony committee last night, said that they requested the panel to visit the state and see the unrest in the Seemandhra region over the decision to create Telangana state.

The delegation which also included Union ministers M Pallam Raju, Panabaka Lakshmi, J D Seelam and D Purandeswari also told the committee that an all-party committee should be set up to evolve a consenus on the decision as otherwise Congress alone is getting the blame for the bifurcation of the state, sources said.

Rajagopal said that all Seemandhra MPs and ministers made it clear that they are for a united Andhra Pradesh and there is a feeling among people that Congress was deciding for Telangana due to "political expediency" eyeing electoral gains.

In the meeting, Seemandhra leaders also expressed their displeasure over Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde's recent statement that a note for initiating the process of carving out Telangana would be presented before the Union Cabinet in the next 20 days.