TRS to boycott all-party meet on Srikrishna report

HYDERABAD - The Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) Sunday decided to boycott the all-party meet called by the central government Jan 6 on the report of the Srikrishna committee that examined the demand for a separate Telangana state.

TRS chief K. Chandrasekhara Rao Sunday alleged that by calling two representatives from each party, the central government was trying to drag on the issue of a separate Telangana state.

Addressing a news conference, he said the TRS could reconsider its decision if Home Minister P. Chidambaram invites only one representative from each party.

Chidambaram has invited eight recognised political parties of Andhra Pradesh Jan 6 for consultations on the Srikrishna committee’s report. The report, which was submitted to the home minister by the panel on Dec 30, will be made public after the meeting.

“It is unethical on part of the central government to invite two representatives from each party. By doing this, it is provoking divergent views and dodging, delaying and dragging the Telangana issue,” said KCR, as Rao is popularly known.

He also wrote a letter to Chidambaram, informing him of the TRS decision not to attend the meeting.

The Mahabubnagar MP said the central government had provoked divergent views in a similar manner by inviting two representatives from each party before formation of the committee.

“The committee also committed the same mistake by inviting seven to eight leaders from each party to elicit their views,” he said.

KCR demanded that the central government abide by its Dec 9, 2009 statement to initiate the process for formation of Telangana state and table a bill for this in parliament.