T process slowed down

Justice will be done to Seemandhra: Moily

• Seemandhra Central Ministers, MPs meet him
• Moily hints consensus crucial for taking it forward
• Leaders seek appointment with Sonia
• Likely to call on Digvijay Singh today
• Vundavalli calls on President

New Delhi/Hyderabad: Union Ministers and Congress MPs from Seemandhra region on Wednesday met Union Petroleum Minister M Veerappa Moily, who is member of the Antony Committee, and pleaded with him to help delay the Cabinet Note. They urged Moily to ensure that a unanimous report is submitted to the Congress High Command.

Later in the evening, the Seemandhra Congress leaders called on Congress President’s political secretary Ahmed Patel, who is also a member of Antony Committee and asked him to see that the process was put on hold. Patel told the leaders that he would convey their feelings to Sonia Gandhi.

He is said to have remarked that they cannot go back on T issue as it could lead to agitation in T region. He said he would convey their feelings to Sonia Gandhi. Giving a clear picture to Patel about the ground situation in Seemandhra region, the Congress leaders wanted the process of bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh to stopped forthwith.

In a related development, Vundavalli Arun Kumar called on President Pranab Mukherjee and urged him to interfere and stop the process of division of Andhra Pradesh. Moily is understood to have pointed out that the Antony Committee process had been delayed due to Antony’s indisposition of Antony. It is only after he recovers and comes back to duty that the process will move on.

Moily assured the delegation that justice would be done to Seemandhra region. “All issues that have been raised will be discussed in Antony Committee and with Congress President Sonia Gandhi,” is what Moily is understood to have told the delegation. The Union Ministers included Tourism Minister K Chiranjeevi, Textiles Minister Kavuri Sambasiva Rao, Minister of State for Finance J D Seelam, Minister of State for IT Killi Kripa Rani and Minister of State for Petroleum Panabaka Lakshmi. The Congress MPs included Vundavalli Arun Kumar, L Rajagopal, K V P Ramachander Rao, Ananta Venkatram Reddy, Sai Pratap and G V Harsha Kumar.

Also present was State Minister S Shailajanath. Emerging from the meeting, Ananta Venkatram Reddy said Moily told them in view of the severity of the agitation in the Seemandhra region and the highly volatile situation prevailing in Seemandhra region, Antony Committee was set up by Congress President Sonia Gandhi. Moily assured them that the Government had not yet proceeded further in the matter and would not do so, till consensus is evolved.

He claimed that Moily had told them that the high command had received all reports on the ongoing agitation in Seemandhra. “We have full knowledge of the severity of the united Andhra movement. Madam Sonia Gandhi will not turn a blind eye to the apprehensions of people of your region. For her, people of all regions are equal. So, you need not worry, the T process will be taken forward only after addressing the concerns of people of all regions," Reddy said.

The Union Ministers and Congress MPs from Seemandhra claimed that Veeerappa Moily did assure them that without addressing their concerns on the issue of bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, there would be no forward movement in the regard.

Asked how confident they are of a consensus when the differences between the two regions are so sharp, Venkatram Reddy exuded confidence it would emerge. He also declared that he is confident that Andhra Pradesh will not be bifurcated. The MP said that the Union Ministers and MPs from the Seemandhra region visited the districts soon after the conclusion of the Monsoon Session of Parliament.

Their impression is that people are not for bifurcation. The agitation has been continuing on an unprecedented scale for 50 days now. Considering the severity of the agitation, the process must be suspended now, he demanded. The Seemandhra leaders have also sought appointment with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and AICC President Sonia Gandhi. “Till then we have decided to stay put in Delhi," Venkatram Reddy added.