Just when you thought it was safe…

Congress MPs from Telangana on Wednesday threatened to commit suicide on the floor of the Indian parliament if their demand for a separate state is not met and insisted that they will not allow the lower house to function until the Prime Minister makes a statement on the issue, reports the Hindu.

For the prime minister, the stab in the back couldn't come at a worse time — considering he's only just succeeded in wheedling an agreement from the BJP-led opposition to allow the house to function during the all-important budget session, after Singh agreed to set up a joint parliamentary committee to investigate the 2G spectrum scam.

An internal district of the state of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana has seen agitation for statehood for many years. But late last year, the leaders of the movement appeared to achieve some headway, before a high powered government committee recommended in January that the status quo be maintained.

One of the key sticking points in any proposal to divide Andhra Pradesh would be possession of Hyderabad, the present state capital, which is also one of India's economic centers — boasting a strong IT industry.