Home minister P Chidambaram on Tuesday ducked an appointment with Telangana committee chairman justice (retd) B N Srikrishna. Chidambaram cancelled his appointment at noon and flew off to the Naxalite-hit Gadchiroli in Maharashtra for inspection. He apparently wanted to rule out any possibility of the five-member committee submitting the report before the security measures are in place to handle any law and order problems which may arise in Andhra Pradesh. The committee is examining the contentious issue of statehood to Telangana.

The 69-year old former supreme court judge, who had called a press conference after the committee's appointment with Chidambaram, said the time given to the committee constituted in February is till December 31 and he will not cross that deadline. He said he could not meet Chidambaram because "he is not in town," but away in connection with some Naxal issue. 

Justice Srikrishna refused to discuss the committee report except to say that it will satisfy the majority and he has "nothing else to say." He appeared to be in a hurry to end the press conference in less than two minutes, but later said that the report provides a "permanent solution" and it was now "up to the government to decide." 

He said he would make sure that the report is handed over to Chidambaram "before December 31." The statement came after an apparent realisation that the deadline is only three days away and he had made a wrong announcement initially that it would be submitted "in 4-5 days." Committee member-secretary Vinod K Duggal, a former union home secretary, claimed the report was "under printing" and so he couldn’t tell the number of pages the report has. 

While the former judge said the committee has examined all aspects in the report, Duggal said it is a "totally unbiased and professional report." One full chapter is devoted to each important aspect, Duggal said, while pointing out that the report which is "not voluminous but large" is in two volumes, the first substantive and the second covering annexure etc.

Srikrishna also seized the opportunity to issue an appeal through the media: "Make sure peace prevails...Nothing untoward happens in Andhra Pradesh."