TDP defies resignation directive of Telangana JAC

The all-party Telangana Joint Action Committee's directive to legislators from Telangana to submit en masse resignations to mount pressure on the Centre fell flat on Tuesday with the Telugu Desam Party asking the panel's convener to persuade Congress legislators to resign first.

The TDP legislators gave 'xerox copies' of resignation letters of its Members of Legislative Assembly to JAC Convener C Kodandaram.

"They gave xerox copies of resignation letters to me which are of no use. They said they will submit their resignations only if Congress MLAs quit," said Kodandaram.

Noting that the resignation letters should be given to the assembly speaker, he said he would ask main Opposition TDP to clarify the matter in the next JAC meeting.

Rejecting the terms of reference of the Srikrishna Committee appointed by the Centre to go into the issue of division of Andhra Pradesh, the JAC asked the legislators from all parties to quit their posts to mount pressure on the Centre, for taking immediate steps for the formation of Telangana.

Accordingly, 15 MLAs -- 10 from Telangana Rashtra Samiti, two from Congress, one each from Telugu Desam Party, Bharatiya Janata Party and Praja Rajyam -- submitted their resignations to the Speaker. The Speaker has accepted the resignations of 10 TRS MLAs and one TDP lawmaker.

In a bid to make its MLAs withdraw their resignations, the Congress high command today summoned them to Delhi for talks.