Shinde rules out decision on 'T' before Dusserra

Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde today made it clear that a decision on separate Telangana can not be taken int the near future. "The process of consultations with the stake holders is still going on and I can not set a time frame for this," he told mediapersons in New Delhi.

Shinde's today's remarks assume significance against the backdrop of Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) president K Chandrasekhara Rao claiming that he had indications that the Centre would announce its decision on Telangana before Dusserra. Asked about a decision on calling for an all-party meet on the demand, Shinde replied "We are yet to decide on the matter."
The Union Home Minister made it abundantly clear that he never discussed the Telangana demand with KCR as is being claimed in certain quarters. He tried to distance himself with the claim that KCR did move the matter with certain Central leaders, including Shinde.
He, however, admitted that some MPs and MLAs besides other leaders have been meeting him. "They are from both the regions, Telangana and Seemandhra," he clarified. He pointed out that opinion gathering on Telangana is still going on.
Only last week, some Seemandhra leaders led by Vijayawada MP Lagadapati Rajagopal, including Minor Irrigation Minister T.G. Venkatesh met Shinde to inform him about the lack of consensus on dividing the State. The Union Home Minister's comments are a slap on the face of TDP president N  Chandrababu, who recently wrote a letter to  Prime Minister  Manmohan Singh, seeking an all-party meeting to discuss the Telangana issue.
   It may be recalled that after Naidu's letter to the Prime Minister, two of  his party leaders, including an MLA, announced their resignation to walk out of the party. The MLA had already submitted his resignation to the party leadership and even raised a banner of revolt against Naidu demanding that the rights of the Seemandhra people be protected.

SP View: Given the facts, Naidu's letter to the Prime Minister is only an exercise in futility, analysts in Hyderabad feel..

- Siva@sakshipost