IANS/New Delhi/Hyderabad
Congress party leaders from Rayalaseema and Andhra regions yesterday called on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, appealing him not to divide Andhra Pradesh.
Alarmed over indications that the Congress core group at its meeting on Friday in principle decided to carve out separate Telangana state, a delegation of leaders met the prime minister, urging him to keep the state united.
The delegation included federal minister K Sambasiva Rao, Pallam Raju, K Chiranjeevi, D Purandeswari and some MPs from Seemandhra, as the two regions are usually referred to.
Earlier, Andhra Pradesh ministers from Seemandhra, who are still camping in the national capital, met at the residence of Sambasiva Rao to chalk out their strategy to prevent the state’s division. S Sailajanath, who is heading the group of state ministers, told reporters that they requested Sambasiva Rao to convey their views for united Andhra Pradesh to the central leadership.
“The centre has not yet taken any decision. There is no need to panic over the media reports. We will resign if the state is divided,” said Sailajanath.
“We are ready for any sacrifice including resignations for a united state,” said another state minister G Srinivasa Rao.
As many as 15 ministers reportedly conveyed to the Congress leadership on Friday that they would have no option but to quit, if it goes ahead with formation of Telangana state.
After the core group meeting on Friday evening, party general secretary Digvijaya Singh had asked media to wait for a decision by the party and the UPA government.
Congress Working Committee (CWC) is likely to meet next week to take a final decision on the issue. Party sources said the core group has taken a decision to divide the state but was still working out finer details including future of Hyderabad.
The core group met after Digvijaya Singh and union minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, who earlier held charge of party affairs in the state, had separate meetings with Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, his deputy Damodar Rajanarasimha and state Congress chief Botsa Satyanarayana.
Opposing Andhra Pradesh’s division, protestors took to streets in Rayalaseema and Andhra regions of the state yesterday.
Students and activists of various political and non-political groups took out rallies, formed human chains and observed shutdown in some parts of Seemandhra. Educational institutions remained closed in several towns on a call given by Samaikhya Andhra or United Andhra students’ Joint Action Committee.
A day after the Congress core group meeting, protests broke out in different towns of coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema.
Hundreds of students participated in a rally in Nellore, demanding the central government to drop any move to split the state. Congress legislator Anam Vivekananda Reddy also addressed the rally.
In Anantapur, protestors laid siege to the house of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) legislator P Keshav, demanding his resignation in support of the united state.
He assured the protestors that he would announce his decision after the proposed meeting of Congress Working Committee (CWC), which is expected to take a final call on Telangana.
Opposing the state’s division, protestors also surrounded the house of state Endowments Minister C Ramachandraiah in Kadapa.
Shops, business establishments and educational institutions were closed in Bapatla town of Guntur district. Addressing a rally, Senior Congress leader P Goverdhan Reddy said state’s division would have serious repercussions.