HC invites Seemandhra leaders for talks on July 12

The Seemandhra leaders have received an invitation from the High Command through Congress MP from West Godavari district Kavuri Sambasiva Rao to visit New Delhi and confer with the leadership over separate Telangana statehood demand.

The leaders from Seemandhra are expected to proceed to New Delhi on July 12 or 13 and
meet the High Command leaders.

It is not clear how many leaders from the Seemandhra regions would proceed to New Delhi as Health Minister DL Ravindra Reddy had earlier made it clear that he was not inclined to go to
New Delhi.
Disclosing this information, Law Minister Erasu Pratap Reddy who earlier found fault with the Congress High Command at Gandhi Bhavan now made a volte-face and favoured that a joint meeting of the leaders from all the three regions be held for a threadbare discussion for a consensus decision on Telangana.
The Minister, who hails from Atmakur in Kurnool district of Rayalaseema region, addressed a press conference at the Secretariat and emphasized the need to shun violence and go for an amicable solution.

“Resignations en-masse is not the solution,” he said.
It was also made clear that the Congress leaders would abide by the decision of the High Command and anybody who is against it could part ways and take their own decision.

The Minister took care to avoid anything in terms of separation of the state and maintained that division was not the proper argument.
Stating that Rayalaseema too was a backward region with people suffering from scarcity of drinking water, and other local issues related to the mines and several other factors, Mr Prathap Reddy clarified that 'backwardness' was not the main criteria for demanding a separate statehood for Telangana.

Asked whether there was a kind of stalemate cropped up over the Telangana issue, the Minister
maintained that a via media (an alternate mechanism) be followed to resolve the ‘tangle.’
Fielding another question whether the Ministers from Seemandhra would also put in their papers, Mr Prathap Reddy shot back saying that it was not the solution.

He said “I told you specifically that mass resignations is not the solution.”
The Ministers from Telangana region had resigned under pressure from TRS, he alleged. “They fell into their (TRS trap),” he opined.

Criticizing the TRS and TDP leaders, the Minister said that they were trying to gain political mileage out of the Telangana issue and they had no proper direction on the subject.
The Minister was also categorical in stating that if they (Seemandhra Ministers) quit, there would be a threat to the government. On the other hand, there was no threat perception when Ministers from Telangana put in their papers, he reminded.