The Congress remained firm on its decision to create a separate Telangana state. This was made clear officially on Wednesday, shortly after announcing a four-member committee headed by defence minister A.K. Antony, to address concerns arising out of the decision.
“No... there is no question of going back. There are many other things to be decided. This (committee) is to implement the decision not to put the decision on hold,” party spokesperson P.C. Chacko told reporters at the AICC briefing.
Earlier in the day, the party announced the setting up of the four-member committee.
“Congress president Sonia Gandhi has constituted a four-member committee to hear the concerns being expressed arising out of the decision to form a new state of Telangana,” AICC general secretary Janardan Dwivedi said.
Besides Mr Antony, Union minister M. Veerappa Moily, AICC general secretary in-charge of Andhra Pradesh Digvijay Singh and political secretary to Congress president Ahmed Patel are members of the panel.
Mr Moily had earlier worked as the AICC general secretary in-charge of the state.
Responding to questions Mr Chacko said that there were indeed two opinions among party leaders and that the Congress was also divided on the issue but added saying, “We have to now implement the decision taken by the CWC, the highest decision-making body of the party.”
Asked what will be the next move if the Andhra Pradesh state Assembly does not pass a unanimous resolution for creation of Telangana when it is not mandatory, Mr Chacko said, “Naturally they should get the opportunity to discuss it and pass the resolution. This question comes only when they do not pass it.”
Mr Chacko also dismissed the BJP’s criticism that the Congress was dilly dallying over the creation of Telangana and asked why the NDA government did not create the separate state out of AP when they had carved out Chhattisgarh, Uttara-khand and Jharkhand.