We won’t bow to pressure: Moiley

Even as the Telangana Rashtra Samiti chief, Mr K. Chandrasekar Rao, is increasing pressure on other political parties by announcing resignations of his party MLAs and MPS before January 28, the Congress on Sunday decided to not to yield to it.

In a clear signal to party leaders, who are in dilemma on whether to follow the high command directive or to agree to the deadline imposed by Telangana Joint Action Committee, the Congress in-charge for state affairs, Mr Veerappa Moily, declared that the party has a clear grasp of the T-issue and announced it would not yield to pressure from outside.

Sources in the party said that he had spoken to the Pradesh Congress chief and instructed him not to allow resignations of members from any region.

“The party high command is now moving in a clear direction. It does not want a constitutional crisis due to members’ resignation,” said party sources.

“What is necessity of resignations when the party leadership is sympathetic towards Telangana issue?” asked Mr D. Srinivas, the PCC president.

Meanwhile, Telangana Congress MPs and MLAs met senior leader, Mr K. Keshava Rao, at his residence to chalk out a plan of action.

The leaders demanded that Mr K.S. Rao and Mr Anam Vivekananda Reddy apologise to the Telangana people for their comments.

In a dramatic move, senior Congress leader and former minister, Mr J.C. Diwakar Reddy, visited Mr Keshava Rao’s house and proposed a peace formula to resolve the present impasse. Mr Diwakar Reddy said Mr Keshava Rao received his proposals positively.

“Let the two sides (Andhra and Telangana) come out with their proposals and give them to Mrs Sonia Gandhi. Let all the Congress members decide that they should abide by Mrs Gandhi’s decision. Even if the decision hurts any group, they should not protest. The Congress should get credit or discredit, not other parties,” said Mr Diwakar Reddy.

Mr Reddy said differences among Congress members would ultimately benefit the Opposition parties, and said such an eventuality must not happen. He asked all Congress leaders from all regions to unite and present their case before the party high command. “This would solve the problem once and for all. How can the party leadership in New Delhi sort the matter with so many divisions?” Mr Reddy pointed out.