Anti-Telangana stir peters out as AP employees resume duty

GUNTUR (AP): With Andhra Pradesh state government employees, teachers, government-owned APSRTC bus staff and electricity employees resuming duty after 66 days, the agitation against formation of a separate Telangana state, has almost petered out, except for the stray agitation by Telugu Desam Party and YSR Congress workers.

Political observers say that the 66-day agitation which paralysed the state government administration in coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema has failed to achieve its objective of getting a categoric declaration by the central government to reverse its decision on a separate Telangana state.

However, unwilling to admit defeat, APNGO leader Ashok Babu said at Vijayapuri North in Guntur district, that they would ensure that the AP legislative assembly rejected the Telangana Bill, when it is referred to it by the President of India.

Telangana Rashtra Samiti leaders dismissed it as an idle threat as the Telangana resolution will be sent to the AP Legislative Assembly only to ascertain its "views" -- the House cannot pass any resolution either for or against the bill.

Political analysts have expressed their amusement at Ashok Babu's threat of using Article 371(D) of the Constitution as his trump card to thwart the formation of a separate Telangana state.

They contend that the article is a special provision for Andhra Pradesh which enables the President of India to make laws to remove regional disparities in the matter of public employment as well as education and it cannot override Article 3 which empowers parliament to form new states.