Telangana back to haunt Congress, Cabinet discusses the matter

Hyderabad: The creation of Telangana was back to haunt the Congress with the Union Cabinet meeting on Thursday evening to disuss the final draft report prepared by the Group of Ministers.

Earlier, no consensus was reached at the Congress Core Group meeting on the inclusion of two Rayalaseema districts in the proposed Telangana state. The GoM report listed both options of Rayal-Telangana with 12 districts and Telangana with 10 districts.

Sources are saying that GoM left the final decision on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of Andhra Pradesh's bifurcation to create Telangana.

Meanwhile, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi called for a statewide bandh on Thursday to oppose the GoM's suggestion - and state transport services were badly affected in Telangana.

TRS leader KT Rama Rao slammed the Centre for making the changes which he called unnecessary.

KT Rama Rao said, "One fails to understand why the Congress party and the Union government is even considering this proposal when, when it is neither the demand of the people of Rayalseema nor the demand of the people of Telangana."

"Congress party has to realise if the motive is political, whatever political benefits they feel they will accomplish because of conceding Telangana, it will not happen because they will be working against the people of Telangana especially with this 12 district proposal. They might gain in two districts, but they'll lose in 10," Rao added.

Several students also protested outside the Osmania University as part of the bandh called against Rayala-Telangana. A small group of students got into confrontation with the police. Stone pelting was reported although the situation was soon brought under control.

A day before the strike, Osmania University campus was tensed as students took out a rally under the banner of OU-Telangana Students Joint Action Committee (OU-TSJAC) from the Arts College to NCC gate.

About 150 students also set on fire old car tyres on the campus and protesters wanted to march to the martyr's memorial at Gun Park, when police intervened.