T issue needs more consultation: Azad

In-charge of Ap Congress affairs and Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on Saturday clarified the finding a solution for Telangana statehood issue is a long process.

"It is not an easy decision to be taken and it cannot be resolved in one day," Azad told reporters after having a meeting on the issue with senior Congress leaders including Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Defence Minister AK Antony and Ahmed Patel. The meeting was held at Pranab Mukherjee's residence and Home Minister P Chidambaram who was in Chennai has reportedly joined the meeting through a conference call.

Azad clarified that the Congress party or the UPA Government is yet to take a decision on the Telangana issue. He refuted the reports aired on news channels on Friday night related to the report submitted by him to Congress president Sonia Gandhi. He said that he held detailed consultation with the Congress MLAs, MLCs, MPs, ministers and former elected representatives belonging to Telangana, Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra regions. "The consultation process continued for two months in August and September. Now after hearing everybody, we will have to hear other people also," he said.

"Before taking a resolution, whatever it may be, we need to take everyone on board. We need to have more discussion with some senior leaders at the national leaders and may be some leaders from the State also," Azad said. He further stated that one process is done and the other process of having consultation at the national level has started.

Azad did not take any questions from the media which were related to the deadline set for the completion of consultation process. He also did not answer whether Telangana Rashtra Samithi president K Chandrasekhar Rao was consulted on the issue.