TRS chief in Delhi to garner support

Telangana Rasthra Samiti chief K Chandrasekhar Rao said on Sunday that he would stay back in Delhi after the Centre-convened meet on Telangana on Tuesday to meet leaders of political parties in a bid to garner their support for the separate state.

Rao told reporters in Hyderabad before leaving for Delhi that during his stay in the national capital he would also meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, All India Congress Committee president Sonia Gandhi, Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumari and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj.

The TRS chief said the "true colours" of political parties from the state will come out in the January 5 meeting convened by the Centre over Telangana. The Centre has called a meeting of eight political parties from Andhra Pradesh in Delhi to discuss the Telangana issue. "It is only at the meeting that the real stand of different political parties will be known... which of the parties are supporting the separate state demand and which are opposing," Rao, who was accompanied by party idealogue K Jayshankar,said.

Rao alleged more than one lakh students from different districts of Telagana region were today prevented by police in various places from participating in the students rally at Osmania University in Hyderabad despite the high court order allowing the event.