Referring to the announcement of the home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde during the all-party meeting on December 28 that a decision would be announced in a month, Azad said the word ‘one month’ should not be taken as 30 days. It should be taken as ‘as early as possible’.

Talking to the media here on Wednesday, he said when some one says ‘one week’, it need not necessarily mean a week. It could mean two weeks also. He told the media that the Congress High Command was taking the issue seriously and would announce a solution at the earliest. He said Telangana was a serious and delicate issue and needed discussions. He said there was need for arriving at a decision at the national level and added that serious discussions were continuing on the issue. He said a decision could not be announced simply because the media asked for it. Stating that there were holidays on January 25, 26 and 27, Azad said discussions were in progress to find an early solution. When asked to state what he discussed with the Congress president Sonia Gandhi, he refused to divulge the details.

Leaders from Seemandhra (as Rayalaseema and Andhra regions are called) Tuesday met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to impress upon him the need to keep the state united for its all-round development

The delegation, including ministers and MPs, submitted a memorandum opposing separate statehood to Telangana. They pointed out that there is backwardness in all the regions and said they have no objection if the central government extends a Gorkhaland-like package for Telangana.

Seemandhra leaders led by state minister S. Shailajanath demanded that the central government implement sixth option suggested by Srikrishna committee.

Under this option, the panel had suggested to the government to keep the state united and provide statutory measures to address the core socio-economic concerns about development of Telangana.

Seemandhra leaders also called on Congress general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad, who is incharge of party affairs in the state. Azad reportedly voiced his unhappiness over the leaders making a beeline to Delhi, and told them to leave the issue to the party leadership and strengthen the organization for its victory in 2014 elections.

The leaders had Monday met Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, who had declared after the Dec 28 all-party meeting on Telangana that the central government would announce its decision in a month.

Seemandhra leaders would be calling on President Pranab Mukherjee Tuesday evening.

Telangana leaders, who also rushed to Delhi Tuesday, met Shinde and urged him to take a decision in favour of separate state by Jan 28. They demanded that the central government stand by its Dec 9, 2009 announcement to initiate the process for formation of Telangana state.

The Telangana delegation, including ministers, MPs and state legislators, told Shinde that four crore people of the region want their state with Hyderabad as its capital.

Minister D.K. Aruna said they made it clear that no alternative to a separate state would be acceptable to the people of Telangana.

Telangana leaders later held a meeting at the residence of central minister S. Jaipal Reddy to chalk out their future course of action.

As Asaduddin had not responded to several court summons earlier, police were preparing to arrest him on a non-bailable warrant, when the MP surrendered before the court, He was remanded to judicial custody.

Asaduddin’s lawyers said they would once again move a bail application on January 24.

Asad’s brother and MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi is also facing the same charges. He was brought from the Adilabad jail and produced before the court last week.

It is learnt that he would file the petition on Tuesday.

It may be mentioned that the CBI court had upheld the agency’s contention that there was no need for government’s permission to prosecute the two, on Monday. The court has also directed both to appear before it on January 31.

Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) workers took to the streets in the old city and other areas of Andhra Pradesh’s capital to protest Owaisi’s arrest. Some buses and shops were damaged in stone pelting.

Protestors hurled stones at buses and shops in posh Banjara Hills, M.J. Market, Lakdi Ka Pul, Amberpet and Patthargatti areas. They raised slogans against the Congress government and burnt effigies of Chief Minister N.Kiran Kumar Reddy.

Tension gripped the communally sensitive old city and some parts of Hyderabad after Owaisi was sent to jail till Feb 2 by a court in Sangareddy town in Medak district in a seven-year-old case.

The MIM leader, his younger brother Akbaruddin Owaisi and others were booked by police Mar 16, 2005, for obstructing officials from carrying out demolition of a place of worship to facilitate road extension at Muttangi village.

Shops and business establishments were shut in the old city, the MIM stronghold, and in commercial hubs like M.J. Market, Nampally, Mallepally, Mehdipatnam, Banjara Hills and Charminar.

As panic spread, schools and colleges allowed students to leave early.

Police and paramilitary Rapid Action Force (RAF) were deployed around the historic Charminar and other sensitive areas. Senior police officials were monitoring the situation. Police also intensified patrolling in the communally sensitive areas.

Police Commissioner Anurag Sharma said barring minor incidents, the situation in the city was peaceful. He appealed to people to remain calm.

The arrest of Asad Owaisi, a Lok Sabha member from Hyderabad, came close on the heels of the arrest of his younger brother and state legislator Akbaruddin Owaisi.

Speaking to the media later, he said he met Naidu as he was touring his father late NTR’s native district. He said it was improper on the part of the Congress MP Lagadapati Rajagopal to stall Naidu’s yatra on the Samaikya Andhra issue. He asserted that no force could disrupt Naidu’s yatra. He said the ‘Vastunna Meekosam’ pada yatra of Naidu was progressing with the overwhelming support of the people. TDP MLA Motkupalli Narasimhulu said if Naidu’s yatra was obstructed, TDP workers would themselves teach a lesson.