Centre not against smaller states, unanimity need for it to act: Congress

Reiterating that the Congress was not against formation of smaller states, All India Congress Committee official spokesman Shakeel Ahmed on Monday stressed the importance of formulating an unanimous opinion on the formation of separate states.

Mr Shakeel Ahmed told media persons here that all regional parties in Andhra Pradesh should come on a common platform and take a unanimous and concrete decision on the formation of separate Telangana state.

“If the parties have different views on state formation, it would be difficult for the Centre to take a firm decision,” he pointed out.

The party spokesperson made it clear the Congress would take a final decision on the formation of Telangana state only after the submission of Justice B N Srikrishna Commission Report.

Mr Shakeel Ahmed also cast doubts on the commitment of Telangana Rashtra Samithi president K Chandrasekhar Rao over the formation of Telangana state by saying that KCR had raised the bogey of a separate state only to firm up his political bearings and derive the maximum mileage.

When asked about the 11 Congress MPs who have launched an indefinite hunger fast demanding lifting of police cases on students at New MLA Quarters in Hyderabad, the party spokesperson said that the person who would be best suited to talk about the issue was the party In-Charge of Andhra Pradesh Affairs, M Veerappa Moily.