
Hyderabad: Three Congress MPs from Telangana region on Saturday said they would not hesitate to quit if the party leadership does not take a decision on statehood issue by May 30. The MPs -- M Jagannath, G Vivek and S Rajaiah -- met in Hyderabad and discussed the issue.
Talking to reporters, Jagannath said they would not hesitate to quit the party if no favourable decision came by May 30. "We want to make it clear to Congress high command that if no decision came on Telangana issue by May 30, our action plan will be towards taking a tough decision. We would not even hesitate to quit the party," he said.
Though they had set such deadlines earlier too, Rajaiah said this would be the final one. The MPs condemned the comments of AICC spokesman PC Chacko on Saturday that Telangana does not form a part of the national agenda of the UPA and it concerns the state government.
Chacko's remarks had come in response to the question as to when the decision on Telangana was expected. However, in a statement on Sunday, Chacko insisted that the Telangana problem is very much on the UPA's national agenda and the party is aware of the sentiments of the people from that region and a decision will be taken as soon as the ongoing consultation process is over....
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05:15 PM, May 19, 2013

Hyderabad: The Chief Minister, who returned from New Delhi on Saturday after a four-day visit during which he discussed the issue with the leadership, has summoned Rao to the state capital from his native Srikakulam district. Reddy, who is from neighbouring Ranga Reddy district, is already in Hyderabad, party sources said. The Chief Minister reportedly defended the ministers in his meeting with the Congress leadership. Kiran Reddy, who called on...

01:20 PM, May 19, 2013

New Delhi: Holding the opposition's "disruptionary tactics" responsible for not allowing passage of the Food Security and Land Acquisition Bills in Parliament's Budget Session, the Congress on Saturday expressed its willingness for a special session if the other parties were agreed. Congress spokesperson PC Chacko also said that the party will take "disruptionary tactics" of the opposition to the people, alleging they had displayed "least inclination" towards passing pro-people legislations...

11:22 PM, May 18, 2013

New Delhi: Congress on Saturday said the issue of separate Telangana does not form part of the UPA's national agenda and it only concerned the state government- remarks which may cause consternation in Andhra Pradesh. "The issue does not form party of the national agenda of UPA. It definitely does not form part.... It concerns the state government", party spokesman PC Chacko told reporters at the AICC briefing. Chacko's remarks...

08:53 PM, May 18, 2013

Thrissur: JPC Chairman PC Chacko has said it will be "unconstitutional" to summon former Telecom Minister A Raja, prime accused in the 2G spectrum case, before the Joint Parliamentary Committee to take evidence, as it would be an "infringement" of Article 20 of the Constitution. "Article 20 (iii) of the Constitution clearly states no person accused of any offence shall be compelled to be a witness against himself," Chacko said....

01:26 AM, May 16, 2013

New Delhi: The Lok Sabha has approved the extension of the term of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on 2G scam till the end of Monsoon Session. The Monsoon Session is likely to begin around July 23. Facing a combined Opposition and allegations of bias, the chairman of JPC, PC Chacko had held informal consultation with the members. Sources say the BJP had agreed for an extension. The tenure of the...

03:19 PM, May 06, 2013

New Delhi: Chairman of the joint Parliamentary Committee on the 2G scam PC Chacko is likely to move a resolution in the Lok Sabha seeking extension of the JPC beyond the Budget Session. Sources say that the BJP has agreed to the extension of the JPC beyond May 10. After Lok Sahba Speaker Meira Kumar expressed her inability to remove him as JPC Chairman as demanded by 15 opposition members...

02:30 PM, May 06, 2013

New Delhi: Janata Party chief Subramanian Swamy on Saturday moved a special CBI court seeking summoning of a written statement given by former Telecom Minister A Raja to Joint Parliamentary Committee in connection with the 2G spectrum scam. In his application filed before Special CBI Judge OP Saini, Swamy said that "in order to ensure that all aspects of the case are examined, actual culprits may be booked, tried and...

06:42 PM, May 04, 2013

New Delhi: The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on 2G scam is likely to meet on Tuesday to decide on the "future course of action" amid possibility of it seeking a fresh extension of tenure to adopt the controversial draft report. After Lok Sahba Speaker Meira Kumar expressed her inability to remove him as JPC Chairman as demanded by 15 opposition members of the committee, PC Chacko has started contacting members...

07:55 PM, May 03, 2013

New Delhi: Against the backdrop of Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar's inability to remove him, JPC chairman PC Chacko on Thursday contacted the committee members to hold a meeting before May 10 when its term ends and is learnt to be ready to extend the tenure of the panel to adopt the controversial draft report on 2G spectrum scam. Chacko has received a go-ahead from the Congress high command to...

09:50 PM, May 02, 2013

New Delhi: Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar on Thursday rejected the Opposition demand for removal of PC Chacko as Chairman of the JPC probing the 2G scam, citing "absence of express provisions in rules". In a letter to JPC members, Kumar said rules and directions are "silent" on the removal of the chairman of a parliamentary committee and urged the Chairman and the members of the JPC to work out...

02:36 PM, May 02, 2013

New Delhi: Fifteen opposition members of JPC on 2G spectrum scam on Wednesday wrote to the committee secretariat rejecting the panel's draft report in toto, setting the stage for worsening of the confrontation with the government on the issue. The 15 members, who had met Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar last week to express "no-confidence" in panel chief PC Chacko, wrote separate letters on Wednesday stating that they are rejecting...

09:35 PM, May 01, 2013

New Delhi: Amid demands by opposition members for the outright rejection of the draft report on 2G, JPC Chairman PC Chacko on Monday said he was ready to take their amendments in the form of dissent notes but would not change the text of the documents. "I am willing for a detailed discussion on each of the (10) chapters. The text cannot be changed. The opposition's amendments can be in...

04:40 PM, Apr 29, 2013

New Delhi: As the deadlock in Parliament continues, Joint Parliamentary Committee Chairperson PC Chacko has said that the government is not stubborn, but too soft on the Opposition. He said that the date for the meeting of the Joint Parliamentary Committee meeting on the 2G scam will be decided on Monday. Speaking to CNN-IBN, Chacko also said there is no provision to remove the JPC Chairman. This came as Opposition...

11:29 AM, Apr 29, 2013

JPC Chairman PC Chacko, whose removal has been sought by some panel members, said he would have considered resigning if the demand had come to him directly instead of Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar being approached for his ouster. Chacko was speaking to Karan Thapar on Devil's Advocate. Here is the full transcript of the interview: Karan Thapar: Hello and welcome to Devil's Advocate and in an interview with embattled...

09:16 PM, Apr 28, 2013

New Delhi: JPC Chairman PC Chacko, whose removal has been sought by some panel members, says he would have considered resigning if the demand had come to him directly instead of Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar being approached for his ouster. "If they had come and told me 'you resign', then I would have thought of that. But they did not demand. They met the Speaker seeking my removal. I...

10:47 AM, Apr 28, 2013

PC Chacko, who is the chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee, which is examining the alleged irregularities in the allocation of the 2G spectrum, has alleged that the political parties which are seeking his resignation are playing a political game. Chacko was speaking to Karan Thapar on Devil's Advocate. ...

08:26 AM, Apr 27, 2013

New Delhi: In a bid to end the confrontation in JPC, its Chairman P C Chacko, under opposition fire, on Friday expressed willingness to consider amendments to the controversial draft report on 2G spectrum scam which gave a clean chit to the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister. Chacko told PTI that any amendment could be considered if the opposition members convince him through discussion about any wrong thing in...

07:40 PM, Apr 26, 2013

The Chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on 2G scam and Congress MP, PC Chacko, has hit out at the Opposition for asking the Speaker to sack him. Speaking to Karan Thapar on Devil's Advocate, he charged them with playing a political game by going to the Speaker with their demand rather than asking him for his resignation. Following is an excerpt from the interview: Karan Thapar: 15 members of...

03:50 PM, Apr 26, 2013

As the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on 2G scam stays divided with opposition members asking for PC Chacko's resignation, former telecom minister A Raja insists he should be allowed to depose. ...

09:43 AM, Apr 26, 2013