The latest statement by Union Home Minister P Chidambaram that the Centre would constitute a committee next week to examine the demand for Telangana state has left the all-party Joint Action Committee divided, with only Congress leaders from the region welcoming it.
Other constituents of the JAC, including its convener Professor Kodandaram and several other organisations have called the decision "disappointing" and an attempt to hoodwink the people.
While the elected representatives of other parties from Telangana continued to toy with the idea of pressing their resignations on Friday, the Congress has clearly backed out of the commitment.
Kodandaram said Chidambaram's statement was not satisfactory, as it did not meet the demand that the Centre should set a deadline for the formation of Telangana state.
Students of JAC of Osmania University, who have been active in the two-month-long agitation, have also rejected Chidambaram's latest statement saying the people of Telangana want a bill to be moved in Parliament and not a committee to further delay the process.
Senior Congress leaders K Jana Reddy and R Damodar Reddy, who met Congress president Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi on Thursday, said there was no need for anybody to resign, as they were confident that Telangana would be formed in six-seven months.
"We have full faith in Amma Sonia Gandhi and we are thankful to her for the latest statement of Chidambaram," Damodar Reddy said.
G Sriniavas Rao and Rajesh, two leaders of the students' JAC said that if the Telangana legislators did not keep their promise to resign by Thursday night, they would call for a siege on the residences of all MLAs and other representatives in the region from Friday.
"The MLAs should keep their word and resign," Rajesh said.
Leader of the Telangana Employees Sangh G Vitthal said, "The deadline of January 28 was fixed by the Congress in consultation with other parties of the JAC. If they do not abide by the decision, it is for them to explain it before the people."
Vitthal said the JAC would welcome the statement if the committee would work on creating the separate state.
"But if it is to make an attempt for compromise, we will reject it."
The steering committee of the JAC was to meet on Thursday night in Hyderabad to discuss the future strategy, however the meeting was delayed as no Congress leader turned up for two hours.
Security has been tightened in Hyderabad as the JAC might give a call for protests on Friday.
