NEW DELHI: When Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called them for a meeting on Thursday, the Telangana Congress leaders had hoped for “some positive news”. But at the end of the 45-minute meeting this evening, all they could manage to extract from him was a promise that he would “discuss their concerns with the Congress core committee members.” At the end of the day, they found themselves in an even more unenviable position -- the Telangana joint action committee (TJAC) set them a new deadline of June 25 to quit their posts if the Centre makes no categorical statement on Telangana by then. It also vowed to take out another Million March on June 19 to put pressure on them as well the Centre. TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao, in fact, announced that he would be out on the streets along with his wife and have lunch with her on the roads.The Prime Minister did give the Congress leaders a patient hearing and, according to them, appreciated their struggle for a separate Telangana. But for the 23-member delegation, comprising nine MPs, two ministers, 11 MLAs and MLCs, that was apparently not encouraging enough. They told the Prime Minister that their position would become untenable if a positive decision was not taken soon and also requested him not to deviate from Union Home Minister P Chidambaram’s Dec 9, 2009 statement on Telangana. It is learnt that the MPs have decided to first go on a hunger strike between July 5 and 10 to bring pressure on the Centre. As a last resort, they have also decided to stall Parliament before tendering their resignations. Emerging out of the meeting, Rajya Sabha member K Keshava Rao said they had apprised the Prime Minister of the situation in Telangana. “We made it clear that we will not be able to continue in our posts if a positive decision on Telangana is not made soon,” he said. The Congress leaders from Telangana are scheduled to meet Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on June 15. Even as the Congressmen were speaking to the Prime Minister, the TJAC’s steering committee met at the TNGOs Home in Hyderabad and set June 25 as the deadline for the Centre to make a statement and for the Congress and TDP Telangana leaders to step down from their posts.It also finalised a massive programme like Million March on June 19 and said it would call for a general strike at a later date. Not willing to give the government any let up, the TJAC said it would follow up the strike with a “Chalo Hyderabad” protest and paralyse administration.Announcing the programme, TJAC chairman Prof M Kodandaram said, “Last time, only 12 MLAs responded to the TJAC’s call and submitted their resignations.But this time, all should tender their resignations.” K Chandrasekhar Rao said, “I too will come on to the roads with my wife. We will cook food on the road and eat there. Kodandaram and his wife will do the same”.Taking a swipe at AICC general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad for terming the T issue as complicated, he said, “Azad is responsible for the TRS-Congress alliance in 2004. He had promised a T state then. People will bury the Congress if it fails to honour its commitment made in Parliament.” The TJAC called upon the people to obstruct TDP and Congress MLAs, MPs and Ministers, if they failed to resign after June 25.On Nagam Janardhan Reddy’s meeting in Adilabad on June 13 and TTDF’s meeting in Tandur on Friday, Kodandaram said the TJAC would not attend those meetings. “If they submit resignations to their respective parties and fight for Telangana, the TJAC will support them,” he added.He alleged that TTDF’s Tandur meeting was funded by TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu and supported by hired goons of the TDP.
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