Even as the Congress has been trying to pacify its agitated MPs and Ministers from Andhra and Rayalaseema regions by asking them to present their concerns before the Antony Committee, Defence Minister AK Antony on Tuesday feigned ignorance about heading such a panel.
“I am not aware of any such decision. It has not been communicated to me,” Antony said when asked about what consultations his committee has held with the agitated Congress MPs and Ministers protesting against bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.
Earlier, AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh had told Union Ministers and MPs and MlAs from the two regions that instead of resigning from posts they should put their views before the high powered committee so that their concerns are addressed and a balanced solution could be found of the complex Telangana issue.
Even on Monday, Congress spokesman Meem Afzal had claimed at the AICC briefing that Antony has been holding parleys with the protesting Congress MPs to persuade them. Responding to questions about whether the Congress was contemplating action against MPs disrupting lok Sabha proceedings, Afzal had said that efforts are on to persuade them for which Antony was talking to them. But it appears that Antony was not even aware of being given the responsibility of pacifying Congress MPs, leave alone talking to them. This would come as a disappointment to Congress Ministers and MPs. Seven MPs, who have submitted resignation, have been asked by the Congress leadership not to press for acceptance of resignation as Antony committee will resolve their concerns.
Significantly, a day earlier, Seemandhra Ministers had held a meeting to discuss what issues they would present before the two-member Antony panel.
Avoid doublespeak: BJP to Cong
Worried over attack on its offices across Rayalaseema and Coastal Andhra Pradesh, the BJP on Tuesday stepped up pressure on the Congress to categorically spell out its stand on separate Telangana State.
Amidst reports that Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and 20 other Cabinet Ministers wrote to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi opposing division of the State, the principal Opposition accused the ruling party of doublespeak.
In a letter to Gandhi, Congress Ministers have also demanded the party leadership not to commence the process (of division) before the high powered committee of the party listens to and resolve the concerns of the people of the State.
“In Telangana, Congress leaders are crediting Sonia Amma for the separate State. In rest of the State, they are blaming the BJP and the TDP for arm-twisting the Congress to dividing the State. What sort of doublespeak is thisIJ The Congress should clearly tell people whether they want a separate State or not,” former BJP chief M Venkaiah Naidu told reporters here.
He blamed the Congress of behaving in the most “irresponsible and immature” manner, which resulted into a widespread chaos in the State.
“The Congress has played with the sentiments of the people for long. First, they appointed Pranab Mukherjee committee. Nobody knows what happened to it. Similar was the fate of the Rosaiah Committee on Telangana,” Naidu said. PNS