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| HRD minister MM Pallam Raju on October 3 resigned from his post in protest against the Union Cabinet's approval of the formation of separate Telangana. (PTI Photo) |
NEW DELHI: M M Pallam Raju, who announced his resignation over division of Andhra Pradesh, on October 5 met Congress president Sonia Gandhi who advised him "not to act in haste".
This is his second meeting with her in two days after being unhappy over the Centre's decision to create Telangana and his decision to quit as HRD minister.
The meeting triggered speculation whether the party was trying to persuade him and other ministers from Seemandhra region not to press their resignation.
When he talked to reporters immediately after meeting Gandhi, Raju gave no indication of what he plans to do.
"Yesterday, I had decided to resign. So I went to meet her and requested her that I would like to resign from the post of minister but she gave me the same advice that was given by the Prime Minister that I should not act in haste and that I should try and find aresolution to the numerous issues by working with the GoM and with other leaders from all over Andhra Pradesh", he said.
Raju said he updated Gandhi about the happenings in the state subsequent to the Cabinet decision on Telangana on October3.
"There are very genuine concerns. There are concerns related to sharing of water. There are concerns related to Hyderabad, of concerns of people living in and around Hyderabad," he said.
Raju said there is a feeling of denial of opportunity among students because most of the academic institutions are based in and around Hyderabad.
"It is not very easy to create a second capital. There are lots of complications involved and people are agitated. These are serious considerations," he said.
The minister said the Congress president told him that there is a GoM on Telangana that is looking into these issues and that he should work with them.
The Centre's decision to create Telangana has triggered further protests in Seemandhra region and a flurry of resignations by union ministers and MPs opposed to the division of Andhra Pradesh.
Apart from Raju, other ministers from Seemandhra region Kotla Surya Prakash Reddy (MoS for Railways), K Sambasiva Rao (Textiles), K Chiranjeevi (Tourism), D Purandeswari (MoS Commerce) and Killi Kruparani (MoS IT and Communications) are also understood to have resigned.
However, the leadership has so far not accepted any of these resignations.
This is his second meeting with her in two days after being unhappy over the Centre's decision to create Telangana and his decision to quit as HRD minister.
The meeting triggered speculation whether the party was trying to persuade him and other ministers from Seemandhra region not to press their resignation.
When he talked to reporters immediately after meeting Gandhi, Raju gave no indication of what he plans to do.
"Yesterday, I had decided to resign. So I went to meet her and requested her that I would like to resign from the post of minister but she gave me the same advice that was given by the Prime Minister that I should not act in haste and that I should try and find aresolution to the numerous issues by working with the GoM and with other leaders from all over Andhra Pradesh", he said.
Raju said he updated Gandhi about the happenings in the state subsequent to the Cabinet decision on Telangana on October3.
"There are very genuine concerns. There are concerns related to sharing of water. There are concerns related to Hyderabad, of concerns of people living in and around Hyderabad," he said.
Raju said there is a feeling of denial of opportunity among students because most of the academic institutions are based in and around Hyderabad.
"It is not very easy to create a second capital. There are lots of complications involved and people are agitated. These are serious considerations," he said.
The minister said the Congress president told him that there is a GoM on Telangana that is looking into these issues and that he should work with them.
The Centre's decision to create Telangana has triggered further protests in Seemandhra region and a flurry of resignations by union ministers and MPs opposed to the division of Andhra Pradesh.
Apart from Raju, other ministers from Seemandhra region Kotla Surya Prakash Reddy (MoS for Railways), K Sambasiva Rao (Textiles), K Chiranjeevi (Tourism), D Purandeswari (MoS Commerce) and Killi Kruparani (MoS IT and Communications) are also understood to have resigned.
However, the leadership has so far not accepted any of these resignations.
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