Seemandhra MP gives call to intensify movement for 'united' AP

VIJAYAWADA: Vijayawada MP L Rajagopal today asked people from Andhra Pradesh's Seemandhra region to intensify the movement in support of a "united" state.

Participating in a round table conference held here by the Andhra Pradesh Journalists' Forum, he said that the movement for "Samaikhyandhra" or a "united" Andhra Pradesh has reached its last stage and needs to be "intensified" by people from Seemandhra region who are against bifurcation to carve out a separate state of Telangana.

Reiterating the stand taken by him along with some other Congress MPs from the Seemandhra region, that they would not allow discussion of the draft AP Re-organisation Bill during the budget session of Parliament, he claimed that they were prepared to face "any kind of action" by the party to protect the interests of the Seemandhra region.

He also hoped that Parliament would not take up discussion on the draft bill during its present situation.

Andhra Pradesh Non-Gazetted Officers' Association president P Ashok Babu also urged political leaders from Seemandhra region to unite and dissolve their political differences in the interest of the state.

He hoped that the coming general elections would be held in a "united" Andhra Pradesh.

He indicated that a hung assembly may not take responsibility for the bifurcation and warned legislators against losing the confidence of the people by taking a lenient view of the bifurcation.

He urged legislators to fight until the Union government withdraws its policy on bifurcating the state.