America felt surrender harmed Congs image

By surrendering to the Telangana statehood demand,the Congress opened a can of worms and came across as a party that appeared weak and feeble,according to US assessment of the situation in 2009.

In a secret cable written on December 10,2009,the then US Ambassador Timothy Roemer said the ramifications of the Telangana surrender may go beyond Andhra Pradesh as similar demands that were simmering are likely to get a fresh impetus from the Telangana movements overnight success. Writing the cable a day after Home Minister P Chidambaram announced the formation of a Telangana state,Roemer said the Congress is likely to be faced with a floodgate of similar demands from other statehood movements across the country and the decision has created a split within its own party. 8230;It appears to come across as weak and feeble,a party that can be easily bullied and intimidated by threats just six month after winning a decisive electoral mandate, the cable by WikiLeaks said.