TDP backs out of all-party meeting on Telangana

The Telugu Desam Party on Wednesday night announced that it would not attend the all-party meeting convened by Union Home Minister P Chidambaram in Delhi on Thursday to discuss the Srikrishna Committee report on Telangana statehood issue.

In a letter to Chidambaram, TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu said it was for the Centre to take the decision on the issue.

"The Justice Srikrishna Committee that was appointed to look into the statehood issue has already submitted its report. We feel it is now for the government of India to take a decision on the issue. Hence, we have felt it not necessary to depute our representatives for the all-party meeting," Naidu said in the letter.

Telangana Rashtra Samiti and BJP have already said they will not be attending the meet on Friday where the home minister will formally hand over copies of the committee's report to the political parties before making it public.

The Congress, Praja Rajyam Party, Communist Party of India, Communist Party of India - Marxist and Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen will be attending the meet.