Telangana Rashtra Samiti on Monday threatened to pull out of the United Progressive Alliance government at the Centre if the party failed to receive a "satisfactory" response on the issue of separate Telangana state.
Earlier report: 5 TRS ministers resign from AP govt
"We will decide to stay in the UPA or not after meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and seeing their response to our demand," TRS chief and Union Labour Minister K Chandrasekhara Rao told reporters.
His statement came hours after five of his party ministers in Andhra Pradesh resigned from the Congress-led government over the handling of the Naxalite problem and the separate statehood issue, a demand TRS had fought the elections on.
"I am meeting the prime minister and leaders of other UPA allies and based on their advice, a decision will be taken whether to remain in the UPA or not," Rao said.
He said it was not correct to say that the decision to quit the government in the state was because of pressure from the Naxalites.
Asked whether his party was facing a split as one of his ministers had refused to quit in the state, Rao said, "In every party there can be misunderstanding. I have not spoken to him."
The TRS chief said that a "consensus has emerged" on the formation of a separate Telangana state as many of the UPA allies supported the cause.
"Now that we are free, we will launch protests against any anti-people action in the Telangana region," he said.
To a question whether he would press for his demand for separate state during his talks with leaders, he said, "Our demand will be faster delivery of Telangana state."
Accusing the Congress government in the state of neglecting the interests of people in the Telangana region, Rao said that Chief Minister Y S Rajashekhara Reddy has been taking steps in the last year, which were against the Telangana people.
He said that initially his party was not keen on joining the government in the state but did so because of Congress President Sonia Gandhi's insistence.
