Chiranjeevi for early solution to Telangana

New Delhi, Oct 10 (ANI): Stating that people are suffering because of the ongoing strike over the creation of a separate state of Telangana, Telugu film actor and Congress leader Chiranjeevi on Monday said that he has requested the senior central ministers to come up with a decision over the issue as soon as possible.

The Central Government today resumed consultations on the Telangana issue with senior ministers,

Chiranjeevi along with other Congress leaders met Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Defence Minister A K Antony, Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram and Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and gave their opinion on the Telangana issue.

"We convened a meeting here and all the core committee has attended. I gave my opinion and the present scenario also, I explained to them, how people are suffering because of the strike and then they asked me my opinion," said Chiranjeevi after the meeting.

"I told my opinion and the discussion has taken place and then finally, I told them that this is the high time, we have to take a decision, whatever decision, whatever sequence will come, we will handle it. But you have to take a decision. People are becoming unrest because of the delay. So no further delay, that's what I requested, that's it," he added.

Meanwhile, Ghulam Nabi Azad, who is the in-charge for Andhra Pradesh, said the delicate issue would require more consultations across the political spectrum.

"It's not that easy to take a decision over it as it is a very serious issue. We need to take opinion of everyone. So the process of taking opinion has started. Till now, we are just taking the opinion of Andhra (Pradesh) leaders, the MLAs, MPs and the other leaders were there and now f ministers of Andhra and other prominent leaders of Andhra, Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, PCC (Pradesh or State Congress Committee) Ministers and it is essential to take opinion of other members of Congress on national level," he said.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy had on Saturday met the top brass of the Congress High Command over the Telangana issue. He was summoned to New Delhi to find a solution to the ongoing crisis over Telangana.

Pro-Telangana activists have stepped up their efforts for the four-decade-old demand of a separate state, which is sought to be carved out of the economically less developed parts of Andhra Pradesh.

The struggle gathered momentum last year after the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance Government had accepted their demand in principle.

Several protests and shutdowns had brought Andhra Pradesh to a near halt in 2009 and 2010, as pro-Telangana activists persisted with their demand. (ANI)