Telangana Congress MPs have threatened to resign if the Congress leadership says a firm “No” to the demand for a separate Telangana state. The MPs said that they will attend the Winter Session of Parliament that starts on November 22 and raise the Telangana issue. They met here at the residence of the Bhongir MP, Mr Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy, and discussed the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh’s recent comments on Telangana at length.

Later, speaking to newsmen Rajya Sabha member, Dr K. Kesava Rao, said it is most unfortunate that the Prime Minister chose to call the Telangana issue as “highly sensitive” as if he was not aware of the sensitiveness of the issue when the Union home minister, Mr Chidambaram, announced a decision on T-state on December 9, 2009. Ending their “boycott Parliament” call, the MPs will raise the Telangana issue, even daring the high command’s diktat.

“We are trying to meet the Congress president, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, in the next few days and tell her that without Telangana state, the issue cannot be resolved,” Mr Kesava Rao said. “We are very serious this time. We cannot allow such delay tactics to continue any longer. We will quit our posts and also the party if the Centre says a firm No on Telangana,” Mr Gutta Sukhender Reddy said. He said they were prepared even to face public through bypolls and fight for Telangana.

DC