Discussion with parties on Telangana statehood issue over: Sushil Kumar Shinde

New Delhi: Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Sushil on Saturday said that discussion with concerned parties over the Telangana statehood issue has been completed. Shinde said an all-party meeting over the issue is likely to be held before or after the Winter Session of Parliament.

The Congress-led UPA government is under a lot of pressure with the Telangana Rashtra Samithi threatening to intensify its agitation for Telangana. TRS president K Chandrashekhar Rao on Thursday said that his party would intensify the struggle for achieving the goal and work to emerge as a major political force. He said that he had even offered to merge TRS (Telangana

Rashtra Samithi) with the Congress if the latter accepts its demand for statehood.

Shinde said an all-party meeting over the issue is likely to be held before or after the Winter Session.

"We had given a lucrative offer (to Congress). We offered to sacrifice our party. There cannot be a bigger offer than this. (But) now there would not be any ties with Congress in future," Rao told reporters in Karimnagar, Andhra Pradesh. The TRS will also organise "Deeksha Diwas" on November 29 at all district headquarters in Telangana to press for its demand for statehood in which a large number of partymen would participate, he said.

Apart from the political pressure, the suicide committed by an Osmania University student has created a lot of tension for the government. Frustrated over the delay in formation of a separate Telangana state, V Santosh committed suicide, leading to tension in the campus on Wednesday. He hung himself from a tree in front of Arts College in Osmania University, which has been witnessing violent protests by students for last three years demanding separate statehood to Telangana. Pro-Telangana groups of over 600 people, mostly youth, have committed suicide demanding a separate Telangana state during the last three years.

(With additional information from PTI)

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