Centre carefully treading on Telangana issue: Shinde

The government is treading cautiously on the issue of separate statehood for Telangana as it will have repercussions not only in Andhra Pradesh but also in some other states, Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said on Friday.

"These (creation of new state) are matters we have to be very  very careful. It has got repercussions in your (AP) state and repercussions in other states also. We have to find out how a solution (amicable way) can be found," he said without referring to states facing similar demands.

He said discussions were being held with various leaders from Andhra Pradesh and they will continue in future.

"MPs (from Andhra Pradesh) are meeting me. I have also been talking to them. So far discussions are going on," the minister said without giving a timeframe to end the stalemate.

Shinde was speaking to scribes on the sidelines of the passing out parade of IPS trainees at the National Police Academy in Hyderabad.

Asked if any decision was expected soon on the issue, Shinde said, "I don't know," but discussions will continue.

Reacting to a query over Telugu Desam Party leader N Chandrababu Naidu's letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh seeking an all party meet on Telangana issue, the home minister said, "Any leader can suggest in this regard. There is nothing wrong. If some good suggestions are coming, we will welcome them."

Earlier, the Centre had said that it was ready to call a meeting of eight political parties once it gets the opinions of four political parties -- Congress, TDP, Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen and YSR Congress.

BJP, Telangana Rashtra Samithi, Communist Party of India and CPI-M have already taken a stand on the Telangana issue but the remaining four political parties -- Congress, TDP, MIM and YSR Congress-- are yet to make public their stand on the creation of Telangana.

Two meetings of political parties on Telangana issue were held on January 5, 2010 and January 6, 2011, but made little headway.