Congress summons Telangana MPs to Delhi

The Congress party's central leadership has summoned seven MPs from the Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh a day after they announced their decision to resign from parliament and the party over delay in formation of a separate state.

The members of parliament (MPs), who held a meeting here Tuesday, will leave for Delhi Wednesday.

Central leader Vayalar Ravi spoke to the MPs over phone and told them to reach Delhi.

The party leadership is likely to persuade the MPs not to take any extreme step which may trouble the party-led United Progressive Alliance government.

However, the MPs told reporters after a meeting here that they stood by their decision to submit their resignations.

Karimnagar MP Ponnam Prabhakar said they would submit their resignations addressed to the Lok Sabha speaker along with a letter to Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

The MPs said they would request Sonia Gandhi to take an early decision on carving out Telangana state.

"If no decision is taken, we will request her to forward our resignations to the Lok Sabha speaker," another MP K. Rajagopal Reddy said.

Madhu Yaskhi said they were ready for any sacrifice, including resignations, for the sake of Telangana. - IANS