Eleven Telangana Rashtra Samiti MLAs faxed their resignations once again to the Speaker, Nadendla Manohar, on Monday after the latter had rejected the resignations letters of the Telangana MLAs on Saturday.
The Telangana Telugu Desam Forum, however, postponed its plan to send fresh resignations till the Speaker returned from abroad. The TD thus joins the ranks of the Congress, the BJP and the CPI, who are yet to decide on a course of action. The Speaker will return on August 15.
Before leaving, he had rejected the resignations by 101 MLAs on the grounds that they had been submitted 'in an emotionally charged environment'.
On Monday, the TRS floor leader, Etela Rajender, the deputy floor leader T. Harish Rao and K.T. Rama Rao set the resignation ball rolling and other party MLAs followed suit. The TD leader, Nagam Janardhan Reddy and three other MLAs also resigned.
The TD president, N. Chandrababu Naidu, who met the party’s Telangana Forum leaders, had asked them to wait for the Congress’ decision on the issue.
The forum convener, E. Dayakar Rao, announced that the TD MLAs would submit their resignations directly to the Speaker when he returned.
TD to study Speaker’s action legally
The Telangana Telugu Desam Forum convener, Mr E. Dayakar Rao, convened an emergency meeting and announced that though the forum was committed to resignations and wanted the Congress and other parties to join them, the TD MLAs would submit their resignations directly to Speaker when he returned.
He also constituted a four-member committee comprising MLAs Mr Ravula Chandrasekhar Reddy, Mr L. Ramana, Mr Gampa Goverdhan and Mr G. Nagesh to study the legal options regarding the Speaker’s decision.
“Faxing resignation letters will not serve the purpose. All Telangana leaders should come on one platform to take a stand against the Centre. Agitation, not talks is the need of hour,” said the TD MLA, Mr M. Narasimhulu.
The TRS, meanwhile, said that the Union minister, Mr S. Jaipal Reddy, should also resign to send a strong message to the Centre. “Since an opinion is being created that the mass resignations did not have the desired impact on the Centre and the Congress high command, it is time that Mr Jaipal Reddy, resign,” said Mr Rama Rao. He added that it was the duty of MLAs and other elected representatives to submit their resignations and to ensure that they were accepted.
“Resignation should not be a formality as was in the case of some leaders. If they are committed to Telangana, they should ensure that it (resignation) is accepted. Those who fail to resign are traitors,” Mr Rama Rao said.
“When the Union minister, Mr Kishore Chandra Deo, could seek a separate tribal state, why can’t Mr Jaipal Reddy come out in support of Telangana? It is unfortunate that he did not even have the courtesy to attend the funeral of Yadi Reddy who hails from his constituency,” he said.