Protests against creation of Telangana intensify in Seemandhra

HYDERABAD: Protests in Seemandhra regions against the proposed division of Andhra Pradesh reached a crescendo today amid reports that the note for formation of separate Telangana was likely to come before the Union Cabinet.

The pro-united Andhra employees of Andhra Pradesh government and other agitators organised protests near houses of public representatives, especially the Lok Sabha members, at several places in coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema.

The Andhra Pradesh non-Gazetted Officers Association president P Ashok Babu regretted that the public representatives in the two regions could not prevent the division.

Spontaneous bandhs have been called at several places against the move to divide the state.

The Seemandhra Congress leaders, who held a meeting, vowed to oppose the resolution for formation of Telangana state if it was moved in the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly.

Several state ministers, MLAs, MLCs from the Seemandhra regions, who met here, resolved to continue their struggle against the proposed division.

"If the resolution for formation of separate Telangana comes (to Assembly), whatever the conditions or context, we will oppose it. Today's meeting endorsed our previous resolution that nothing short of united Andhra Pradesh is our demand," state Primary Education Minister S Sailajanath, leader of Seemandhra Congress MLAs and MLCs forum, said.

Meanwhile, state Panchayat Raj Minister K Jana Reddy, who belongs to the Telangana region, appealed to the Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy not to permit public meetings proposed to be organised by some political parties, saying they may lead to law and order problems.