Telangana panel's terms today; tension builds up

Even as keenly awaited terms of reference of Justice B N Srikrishna commission on Telangana are likely to be announced in New Delhi on Thursday, tension was mounting in the region once again. Leaders and legislators of Telangana region are becoming restive day by day.
 
The Congress core committee, which met at the residence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday, had a lengthy discussion on the terms of reference of the commission.

According to sources, the meeting gave a final touch to the terms of reference and the purpose of the formation of the committee. After the meeting which was attended by AICC president Sonia Gandhi, senior ministers Pranab Mukherji, P Chidambaram, AK Antony and Veerappa Moily, there were indications that the terms of reference will be announced after it was formally approved by the Union Cabinet.
 
Though the five-member committee of experts to go in to the situation in Andhra Pradesh was announced more than a week ago, the delay in announcement of its terms of reference and time frame to complete its work has left Telangana leaders of all the parties including Congress unhappy.
 
Venting their frustration and anger over the delay some of the Congress legislators have started talking of boycotting the forthcoming budget session of the Assembly from February 15.

R Damodar Reddy, the leading light of Telangana movement among the Congress legislators has gone to the extent of threatening that Telangana MPs will bring down the Central government if the terms of reference were not in accordance with the aspirations and expectations of the people of the region.

"We will cut your tongues if you speak against Telangana", Damodar Reddy warned the leaders from Andhra and Rayala Seema regions.
 
Another senior Congress leader from Telangana T Jeevan Reddy said that he would not hesitate to quit the party itself if terms of reference were not in favor of Telangana.
 
The situation in the backdrop of these angry outbursts was discussed at a meeting of Congress leaders at the residence of Congress Working Committee member K Keshav Rao. Rao was counseling the other leaders to have patience and exercise restrain.
 
After the meeting on Wednesday Damodar Reddy said that if Srikrishna Committee was not given a clear deadline, he and other leaders were ready to make any sacrifice.
 
The Telangana Joint Action Committee convenor Kodandaram reiterated that the threat of Telangana legislators to resign from the state assembly and Parliament remains in place. "We had set the deadline of February 7 but postponed it in view of the formation of Srikrishna committee. But inordinate delay in announcing the terms of reference is not acceptable", he said.
 
Telangana Rashtra Samiti president K Chandrasekhara Rao also given a call to Telangana leaders to be ready for any sacrifice if the terms of reference of the committee was not in favor of Telangana state. "I can not say what will happen if the committee's terms of reference are not in favor of Telangana and a clear deadline is not given". He said that the TJAC will discuss the situation after the terms of reference were announced.