Ministers from the Telangana region seem to be caught between the devil and the deep sea as regards the proposed Telangana March.
As the date of the proposed march, September 30, is nearing, pressure is mounting on the ministers from the region to persuade chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy to give permission for the march. At the same time, they are under equal pressure from the chief minister to prevail upon the Telangana Political Joint Action Committee (TJAC) to postpone the march which is slated for a day after the immersion of Ganesh idols and a day prior to the commencement of the prestigious Conference of Parties-11 (CoP-11).
Kiran Reddy, who had depended solely on home minister P Sabita Indra Reddy till Tuesday to hold discussions with TJAC leaders, has now roped in deputy chief minister Damodara Rajanarasimha and panchayat raj minister K Jana Reddy to prevail upon the TJAC to defer the march. The chief minister, who is touring Krishna district as part of his Indiramma Bata programme, called up Rajanarasimha and Jana Reddy separately on Wednesday and asked them to persuade the leaders of TJAC to postpone the march.
When asked about it, Jana Reddy said the chief minister had called him up and discussed the matter with him. But, he did not disclose the details of his telephone talk with Kiran Reddy.
He said TJAC leaders met him on Wednesday and sought his cooperation in getting government's permission for the march. "TJAC leaders told me that they would hold the march peacefully. However, the chief minister will discuss these issues with party leaders on Thursday and arrive at a decision," he said.
When wanted to know why he did not make an open appeal to the TJAC to put off the march, the minister said the chief minister himself had made an appeal to the TJAC in this regard and there was no need for every minister to make a similar appeal. "It is the chief minister who has to take a decision on the issue. I am a responsible minister, not a mediator," Jana Reddy remarked.
He said he would air his personal view over the issue only after holding detailed discussions with the chief minister.
KK CALLS ON JANA: Meanwhile, senior Congress leader K Kesava Rao called on Jana Reddy here on Wednesday.
After meeting Jana Reddy, Kesava Rao said that he had met the minister to request him to persuade the chief minister to give permission for the march.