Telangana: Cases withdrawn, Cong MPs end fast

Congress members of Parliament from Andhra Pradesh's Telangana region gave up their fast on Tuesday afternoon after the government withdrew all police cases registered against students.

Earlier on Tuesday, the fasting Congress MPs made it clear that they will not call off their protest until all police cases against the students are withdrawn.

"We will not call off our Satyagraha till the government withdraws all the cases against the students," Congress Rajya Sabha member K Kesava Rao told reporters.

Keshava Rao even suggested that the Telangana legislators would not hesitate to resign and bring down the Kiran Kumar Reddy-led Congress government if cases were not withdrawn.

"We are all hoping that the Srikrishna Committee report will be in favour (of a separate Telangana). If it does not, we all will submit our resignations," said Keshava Rao.

The fasting leaders also claim that they have shared their reasons in a letter to party president Sonia Gandhi. 

The Telangana Congress MPs began their fast on Monday, demanding withdrawal of all police cases against the students registered during the recent Telangana agitation.

Though the government expressed is readiness to withdraw 135 more cases, in addition to nearly 600 cases withdrawn earlier, the MPs insisted that all cases should be withdrawn forthwith.

The demand came just days before the Srikrishna Committee is to table its crucial report deciding the fate of Telangana on December 31.

At present, 52 of the 156 Congress legislators in the 294-member assembly are from Telangana.

Earlier, Kiran Kumar Reddy had appealed to the Congress MPs not to undertake their proposed fast, but the Parliamentarians rejected the request.

Withdrawal of police cases against students and other Telangana supporters, who took part in the recent agitations, was a demand voiced by the Telugu Desam Party, Telangana Rashtra Samiti and other pro-Telangana outfits.

The Telangana region is spread over ten northern districts of Andhra Pradesh.