No flip-flop on Telangana, says Chidambaram

New Delhi: Asserting that the government had done "no flip-flop" over separate statehood to Telangana, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on Thursday said the January 5 meeting of eight political parties from Andhra Pradesh had been called to devise a "mechanism" and "lay a road map" on resolving the controversial issue.

"There is no flip-flop on part of the government over Telangana," said Chidambaram.

He said the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government in its common minimum programme had said that a separate Telangana state will be carved out from Andhra Pradesh "at an appropriate time" after due consultations and consensus.

Major political parties in Andhra Pradesh, he said, contested the 2009 Assembly elections on manifestos that "in one manner or other declared support for the formation of a separate state of Telangana".

Referring to two statements he had made on December 9 and on December 23 on the issue, the home minister said, "The central government simply responded to the situation in Andhra Pradesh."

"On December 9, it was announced that an appropriate resolution would be moved in the state assembly. I would like to highlight key words in the statement, they are 'process', 'appropriate resolution' and 'moved'. In the background of the minutes of the all party meeting, I would like to ask what was wrong with that statement," he queried.

And on December 23, after MPs and legislators from the state appeared divided over the issue, the government stressed the need to hold consultations with all political parties on the issue following a fortnight of protests in Andhra Pradesh for and against the separate state.

"We simply responded to the wishes of the people of Andhra Pradesh. I hope you don't call the January 5 meeting a flip-flop," Chidambaram added.

"The January 5 meeting is the first step in consultations. We have called the recognised parties in the state to devise a mechanism and lay a roadmap on the issue," he said.

Chidambaram also pointed out that other student groups and interested parties would also be consulted at a later stage.