Throwing cold water on the hopes of Telangana supporters, Union home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde on Saturday indicated that a decision on the contentious issue is going to take longer.
“It may be before Parliament (winter session beginning on Nov 22) or after,” he said when asked whether the government would make an announcement in Parliament. “You have waited long. You may have to wait for some more time,” he said in an answer to those who are seeking a Telangana state.
Shinde’s indication that there would be more delay could not have come at a worse time since Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) chief K Chandrasekhar Rao has already begun flexing his muscles, vowing to tear the Congress apart for betraying people of Telangana. He has already given a call to his cadres to ensure that the party won 100 Assembly and 16 Lok Sabha seats in the 2014 general elections.
Shinde, answering queries from mediapersons at Delhi, said that there was no need for calling an all-party meeting once again. “Already enough consultations had taken place. An all-party meeting was also held. The process of consultations is still continuing. It is going to take some more time,” he said.
Shinde, however, said if there is a possibility of getting an answer to the T-tangle, the government would surely consider the suggestion for an all-party meeting. To another question, he said he did not get to see TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu’s letter seeking convening of an all-party meeting. “It has not come to my notice,” he said when a scribe reminded him that Naidu had written to the Prime Minister and to him on T issue.
The Union home minister revealed that the party discussed the Telangana issue as latest as Friday night at 10 Janpath along with other issues.