Caught between warring Telangana-Seemandhra leaders, the Telugu Desam president, Mr N. Chandrababu Naidu, said on Friday that his viewpoint on the Telangana issue reflected his party's decision and was in no way influenced by leaders of other parties.

He also opposed the Centre's draft Lokpal Bill, saying the Prime Minister should be brought under its purview. He added that the Bill was a sad reflection of the Centre's lack of commitment to fight corruption. "On the Telangana issue, my statement reflects the party decision. The stands taken by other leaders reflect the views of their regions and not those of their party. My party has made it clear at the Mahanadu that the Telangana issue has to be solved by the Centre," he said.

Mr Naidu tried to play down the row kicked up over the remarks of senior party politburo member, Mr Yanamala Ramakrishnudu, that the TD's letter to the Pranab Mukherjee committee supporting Telangana in 2008 was time-barred. The TD chief's comments added to the confusion among Telangana TD Forum leaders, since they were harping on the TD report to the Pranab Mukherjee committee at every given opportunity and promising to fight for a separate Telangana, which Mr Naidu described as individual opinions and not those of the party.

Mr Naidu said henceforth there was no need to keep on enquiring about the TD's stand on Telangana and creating animosity among people. "We discussed the Telangana issue threadbare at the Mahanadu and the party has expressed its view categorically," he added. "People of both the regions are equal to me. I cannot differentiate between them," he remarked.