Manish Tewari asks AP leaders to have patience on Telangana issue

HYDERABAD: Union Minister Manish Tewari today appealed the leaders in Andhra Pradesh to "observe forbearance" as the Congress high command will come out with a decision on Telangana issue soon.

The statement from Tewari, who landed here this afternoon, came state Congress chief Botsa Satyanarayana left for New Delhi today to discuss the Telangana statehood issue with the party high command.

"The Congress high command is seriously trying to resolve the Telangana issue. It will come out with a decision on this soon. I request leaders from Telangana and Andhra-Rayalaseema regions to observe patience," Tewari, who is Union Information and Broadcasting Minister and official spokesman of AICC, told reporters at the Hyderabad International Airport.

"We understand the sensibilities... understand the sentiments (of Telangana people). But there is a need for everybody to be patient. There is need for forbearance," Tewari said.

He added that the Union Home Ministry was engaged in the process of making a statement on the statehood issue.

Meanwhile, Botsa's visit to New Delhi today is a follow- up to Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy's trip to the national capital last week as part of the "consultation process" initiated by the AICC leadership on the statehood issue.

Like the Chief Minister, the PCC chief is also expected to meet Union ministers and top leaders of AICC, including Sonia Gandhi and discuss the political repercussions of any decision on the state bifurcation demand, sources close to Botsa said.

He is expected to submit a report to the party high command on the "positives and negatives" for the ruling Congress arising out of the decision on the contentious issue, the sources added.