Telangana protests spark Naxal revival fears

K Chandrasekhar Rao was also expected to come to Delhi this week in this connection.

The Congress partys attempts to solve the Telangana imbroglio has hit a wall with growing apprehension about resurgence of Naxals in the region,and Kiran Kumar Reddy governments inability and incompetence in handling the situation.

While the party leadership has decided to finalise its stance by October-end,senior ministers,who have been confabulating with party leaders from all regions of the state for several weeks now,have not reached any conclusion yet.

Congress sources said the government has received information about the involvement of Naxals in the agitation for Telangana state,and creation of a new state could lead to the revival of Naxalism in the region,which might have serious implication for neighbouring states as well.

We have to think for the entire country and not just one region. At the same time,if we ignore the current agitation,it may have serious consequences. Its like devil and the deep sea situation, said a minister involved in the exercise.

The Centre is convinced of the magnitude of the pro-Telangana agitation and is apprehensive of it turning violent if the statehood demand is not met. Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy,who is opposed to the bifurcation of the state,has assured the central leadership that he would be able to handle the situation in the event of the Centre denying statehood to Telangana. The Congress leadership,however,is sceptical about his over-confidence as the CM has been at sea about the volatile political situation since he took over last year,according to top party sources.

Besides,said sources,competing interests and individual ambitions of Congress leaders from the state were also confounding the problem. Union Minister Jaipal Reddy,for instance,who hails from Telangana region,did not join other MPs from the region in offering resignation from the Lok Sabha. Reddy has,however,been coordinating and guiding pro-Telangana MPs,said sources.

PCC chief Botsa Satyanarayana,who hails from coastal Andhra region,supported statehood for Telangana during his discussion with the central leadership last week. Satyanarayana was said to fancy his chances for the top job in a bifurcated state. Deputy CM Damodar Rajanarsimha,who hails from Telangana region,was non-committal on the issue of statehood in his interaction with central leaders.

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Sources said the Congress had tried to hold back-channel negotiations with the Telangana Rashtra Samiti,and its chief K Chandrasekhar Rao was also expected to come to Delhi this week in this connection. But that initiative also failed as KCR was said to have put a pre-condition that he would discuss any modalities only after the Centre first agreed to give statehood to Telangana.

Meanwhile,the Congress is likely to start consultation with its allies over Telangana. While the NCP has supported the demand for Telangana,it is likely to face opposition from the Trinamool Congress even though the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha has stated that Gorkhaland and Telangana movements have to be viewed differently.