Apart from inviting water cannon fire from the Delhi police, BJP state president G Kishan Reddy’s three-day protest fast on the Telangana issue in Delhi seems to have attracted some attention from political circles in the national capital.
To add their weight to the cause, Telangana Joint Action Committee (TJAC) leaders under the chairmanship of Prof M Kodandaram were in Delhi Tuesday and Wednesday, imploring the Congress top brass to led them an ear.
The TJAC bandwagon, in Delhi to extend support to Kishen Reddy’s fast, met the Congress’ AP point man Ghulam Nabi Azad and asked him to persuade the high command to make an immediate announcement on statehood for Telangana.
For effect, Kodandaram rattled the sabre of the Telangana March scheduled for September 30 for which there would be mass mobilisation from all sections of people in Telangana.
According to TJAC leaders, Azad only promised he would forward their imploration to his peers and superiors in the high command.
Trying to sound dire, Kodandaram said, “We also warned Azad we will intensify the agitation if the Centre does not take a final decision soon.
The Centre will have to take the responsibility for the consequences after Sept.30.” It’s not known whether the TJAC delegation any more purchase from another AICC mandarin Vayalar Ravi when they met him on Tuesday with a similar threat-cum-request.
Not to be seen as slackers, Congress MPs from Telangana too have been doing ostentatious lobbying for bifurcation of the state. Their counterparts from Seemandhra have been busy too, doing likewise to stymie them.
For the past few days, on M/s Suhilkumar Shinde, Ghulam Nabi Azad and Vayalar Ravi have been kept busy by Congress delegations from Telangana and Seemandhra seeking opposite goals.
Since all parties to the dispute are in Delhi, ministers from Telangana too are planning to take the flight to Delhi. They are to be led thither by panchayat raj minister K Jana Reddy.