Cong reacts cautiously to Mayawati’s plans to divide UP

Cong favours a State Reorganization Commission to look into such demands across the country.

With Telangana controversy in the back of its mind,Congress today reacted cautiously to Mayawati’s reported plans to divide Uttar Pradesh into four parts saying the party favours a State Reorganization Commission to look into such demands across the country.

“We will fulfill whatever we have said in our manifesto. We want a State Reorganization Commission to be set up as the issue is not limited to only Uttar Pradesh. Congress does not decide keeping in mind a region or the state but the whole country,” party spokesperson Rashid Alvi said.

To a specific question on whether the new Commission will also cover the issue of separate statehood for Telangana,Alvi merely said,”It will cover the entire country” and evaded further questions on the issue saying the AICC-in charge of the state is seized of the matter.

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Asked whether Congress treats Telangana as an exceptional case,the spokesperson replied in the negative but said that similar issues dog other states in the country as well.

“Telangana is a very sensitive issue,a very burning issue….It’s not a different issue. It’s the same issue but it is going on for a long time. AICC general secretary in-charge is looking into it,” he said when repeatedly asked whether the party treats Telangana differently from other such demands of separate states.

The Congress manifesto without specific mention says that the Indian National Congress is aware that in some large states the persistence of intra-regional imbalances in development has given rise to the demand for separate states.

“While it has introduced several programmes to redress these disparities,recognising the legitimacy of these concerns and acknowledging that the solution may vary from one state to another,Congress will find pragmatic solutions to deal with these demands,” the manifesto said.

Police personnel seen to control the situation during a massive protest over the statehood demand and the inclusion of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule, in Leh on Wednesday. (ANI Video Grab)

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