Telangana Cong leaders to keep the heat on AP govt

The steering committee of Congress leaders from Telangana on Monday appealed to Andhra Pradesh ministers from the region not to attend their official duties and party MPs to stay away from Parliament.

The appeal came in the wake of several Telangana ministers resuming their official duties following the deletion of Clause 14 (f) of 1975 Hyderabad Presidential Order that made Hyderabad a free zone for employment earlier this month.

"We appeal to the ministers (from Telangana) not to attend official duties, not to go to secretariat. Second, the MPs would continue the present policy (of staying away from Parliament). We will go to Parliament only if there is a division, uncomfortable situation. Then only, we will vote for the government," Congress Lok Sabha member G Sukhender Reddy told PTI in Hyderabad.

The steering committee of Telangana Congress leaders had earlier decided to continue their boycott of official duties.

The ministers from Telangana region would meet in a couple of days to discuss the matter, he said.

Congress MPs and ministers from Telangana region have been staying away from their official work since July 4 when they had resigned over separate statehood issue.

Their resignations were, however, rejected by the Andhra Pradesh Assembly Speaker on the ground that they were made on emotional basis, following which the ministers and MPs continued to attend their official duty.

Alleging that illegal cases are being filed against students in Telangana, Reddy said the Telangana Congress leaders wanted such cases to be removed.

He said that some Telangana leaders had met Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy in this regard.