Pro-Telangana Cong leaders on 48-hour fast, slam Azad

Hyderabad, Jul 13 (PTI) Concerned over lack of concrete
response on the Telangana demand following their en masse
resignations, Telangana Congress leaders Wednesday began a
48-hour fast in the southeastern state Andhra Pradesh.
Remarks of Congress in-charge for Andhra Pradesh Ghulam
Nabi Azad favouring a consensus on the issue also drew flak
from the protesters.
The hunger strike by Telangana Congress MPs, MLAs and
MLCs, who had resigned from their posts en masse earlier this
month, started at Indira Park here.
The fast is aimed at highlighting the separate statehood
demand, Telangana Congress leaders said.
About 10 MPs, 11 ministers and 22 MLAs turned up for the
fast, while some ministers and legislators came to the venue
for some time to express solidarity with the agitators.
Demanding that the Centre concede to the demand
immediately, some of the leaders said they are prepared to
talk to their counterparts from non-Telangana regions to
persuade them to agree for a division.
Taking strong exception to Azad's remarks that a
consensus is needed for the formation of a separate state,
several leaders said he should not have made such comments.
"I have Constitution in my hand. Supreme Court had also
said consent of state is not required (for formation of new
state). It does not make sense to talk about unanimity. Do not
give importance to these comments," Congress Rajya Sabha
(upper house of Indian parliament) member K Keshav Rao said,
while addressing the gathering.
Congress MP Ponnam Prabhakar said: "If he (Azad) has made
such comments, it is regrettable. Leadership needs to think
about such comments. Consensus would not be possible, because
they are more in numbers. In fact, all parties had agreed on
the formation of Telangana earlier. We will use these comments
to only strengthen our resolve and to achieve our goal."
Senior Congress MLA R Damodar Reddy said Azad should step
down as in-charge of party affairs in the state.
"Azad should step down as in-charge of Congress affairs
in AP for making such comments. If he does not do that, he
should be relieved from the responsibility," he said.
MP Madhu Yashki Goud, MLAs Gandra Venkataramana Reddy,
Bhikshamaiah Goud were among those leaders who took exception
to Azad's remarks.
Azad had said in Beijing Tuesday that a decision on the
formation of Telangana state cannot move ahead an "inch"
without the State Assembly passing a unanimous resolution.
"If we have to do this we have to pass a unanimous
resolution. Unless it is passed, we cannot move one inch,"
Azad had said.
Gutta Sukhender Reddy, Lok Sabha (lower house of Indian
parliament) member, criticised ministers and other legislators
for leaving the venue early without participating in the fast.
"We are doing the fast for people. Can't ministers and
others sit on fast for 48 hours?" he asked.
Asserting that there is no question of taking back
their resignations, Rao said they would agitate for separate
Telangana, along with students and employees, if no "reply"
came from the Centre and the high command by July 31.
Meanwhile, some prominent Telangana supporters like
revolutionary singer Gaddar visited the site and expressed
solidarity with the fasting leaders.