Andhra CM hails PC's statement on Telangana

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K Rosaiah on Wednesday night welcomed Union Home Minister P Chidambaram's statement on the contentious Telangana statehood issue and said it should not be seen as either a victory or defeat for one region or the other.

Rosaiah called for withdrawal of all forms of agitations for and against Telangana and asked the MPs, MLAs and MLCs, who had resigned either favouring or opposing a new state, to retrace their steps.

He said the state government supported 'each letter' of Chidambaram's statement which has done 'equal and appropriate justice to people of all regions of Andhra Pradesh,' Rosaiah told a press conference at the end of an emergency meeting of the state cabinet late on Wednesday evening.

In remarks that appeared to put Telangana statehood on backburner, Chidambaram said earlier this evening that wide-ranging consultations would be held on the issue as a large number of parties are sharply divided on it.

"I don't think the Centre's latest statement is beneficial or detrimental to this region or that region of the state. This is not pertaining to one region or a section but to all concerned. The Centre will go ahead by taking the views of all parties concerned," the CM said.

He appealed to the MPs, MLAs and MLCs who quit either in emotion or temper to immediately withdraw their resignations.

"As the leader of the Congress Legislature Party, I am appealing to my fellow MLAs and MLCs to take back their resignations and help restore peace in the state," the CM added.

He also asked people of all regions to call off their agitations, hunger-strikes and protests immediately. "We have already lost heavily because of the agitations. Please call off the agitations and bring back peace and normalcy in the state," Rosaiah said.

The CM said he would talk to the Centre 'in due course of time' on the course of action on the statehood issue.

Replying to a question, Rosaiah said there was no question of sparing anyone who made provocative and inflammatory statements.

"There are established laws to deal with such issues. The police are on the look out and will initiate appropriate action if anyone made any inflammatory statement," he said in an apparent reference to Telangana Rashtra Samiti president K Chandrasekhar Rao, who allegedly threatened to slit the tongues of people who demand union territory status for Hyderabad.