Will the Centre and the Congress leadership take forward the T-process only after addressing the concerns of the people of Seemandhra?
Two incidents that took place on the T-front in Delhi on Friday has led to the speculation. In the first, defence minister AK Antony submitted his committee’s interim report on the concerns of Seemandhra people arising out of the proposed bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh to Sonia Gandhi at the Congress Core Committee meeting held in Delhi on Friday.
Antony, who is heading the three-member committee set up by his party high command to look into the concerns of Seemandhra, is learnt to have said in his interim report that the status of Hyderabad, sharing of revenue and sharing of river waters between the two proposed states have become major obstacles in taking forward the process of division of AP.
According to sources, he further told his party president that the status of Hyderabad had become a conundrum for the Centre to persuade the leaders from either side of the divide to agree to an amicable solution. He stressed the need to find an amicable solution to the status of Hyderabad, which will be joint capital of both proposed states for ten years, to take forward the T-process.
In the second incident, PCC chief D Srinivas called on Sonia Gandhi at 10 Janpath in Delhi and held an hour-long deliberations with her.
Emerging from the meeting, Srinivas exuded confidence that his party leadership would expedite the process of bifurcation of AP.
Interestingly, the senior politico from Telangana dropped hints that his party leadership would fast-track the T-process only after addressing the concerns of Seemandhra.
Stating that he had called on Sonia Gandhi only to enquire about her health, he divulged that he had also taken the opportunity to apprise her of the prevailing situation in the state and the agitation in Seemandhra.
“During my meeting, madam Sonia Gandhi has reiterated that there is no question of going back on the decision of forming T-state. She assured me that full justice would be done to both the regions of the state.”
He further said that he had urged his party boss to take the initiative to see that a dialogue with the Seemandhra people was started so that the process of division of AP could be taken forward in a smooth manner.
He even suggested that an official of the rank of secretary in the Union home ministry be asked to look into the apprehensions being raised by the Seemandhra employees and people.