Defying party orders, the Congress MPs from the Telangana region have announced that they would continue to stall the proceedings of Parliament demanding statehood for the Telangana region.
The Telangana Congress MPs were reportedly rebuked by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday evening for disrupting the proceedings of the Lok Sabha over Telangana issue. He summoned the MPs in his chamber in the Parliament and asked them to restrain from stalling the proceedings of the House. However, the MPs reportedly conveyed that they would not allow the Parliament to run until the Centre announces a favourable decision on the statehood issue.
Later, addressing a press conference Congress MPs - S Rajaiah, Manda Jagannatham, Gutta Sukhender Reddy, G Vivek and Ponnam Prabhakar said that they will continue their agitation "within and outside the Parliament" for the cause of Telangana. They said they could even go against the Congress High Command on the issue and "nobody could stop them from doing so".
"We were elected by the people of Telangana and not by the High Command," Nalgonda Gutta Sukhender Reddy said. Stating that "the MPs were not afraid of anyone", he said the Centre should honour the promise it made on December 9, 2009. He said the Telangana MPs would discuss their startegy on daily basis during the winter session of the Parliament.
Nagarkurnool MP Manda Jagannatham said that the MPs would continue their protest until the Centre announces formation of Telangana. Warangal MP Sircilla Rajaiah said that they could not be pressurised by anyone to discontinue the statehood agitation.
Peddapally MP G Vivek said that the Congress party having a pre-poll alliance with the Telangana Rashtra Samithi in 2004 was a clear indication that the party was in favour of granting statehood for the region. Therefore, the Congress High Command should honour the promise and announce Telangana. He said the MPs would not change their stand on the issue, under any circumstances.