Hyderabad: With the UPA coordination panel and Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting in Delhi today to take a final decision on statehood for Telangana, coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions of Andhra Pradesh were yesterday rocked by protests opposing the state’s division.
Paramilitary forces were rushed to Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra regions of Andhra Pradesh to deal with any situation in the event of the central government taking a decision to carve out a separate Telangana state.
Protesters, including students, activists of political parties and people from other sections of society, laid siege to the houses of central ministers, MPs and state legislators, seeking their resignations for a united Andhra Pradesh.
Various groups took out rallies and organised meetings to demand the central government drop any move to bifurcate the state.
More than 1,000 personnel of paramilitary forces were deployed to prevent violence. Over 1,200 personnel were already deployed in major towns in Seemandhra (Rayalaseema and Andhra) last week to maintain law and order.
More central forces from neighbouring Karnataka and Tamil Nadu were rushed to towns like Anantapur, Kadapa, Kurnool and Nellore, which are witnessing protests against possible division of the state.
Police and central forces deployed for the ongoing panchayat elections have also been asked to remain in their respective areas till further orders.
Protestors surrounded the camp office of central minister K S Rao in Eluru town of West Godavari district, demanding that he quit to mount pressure on the Congress leadership to keep the state united.
A similar protest was held outside the house of another central minister, D. Purandeswari, in Visakhapatnam.
Students, workers, teachers, lawyers and political activists took out a massive rally in Anantapur and laid siege to the house of Congress MP Ananta Venkatarami Reddy, demanding his resignation.
Most of the Congress leaders were either in Hyderabad or Delhi to discuss among themselves their strategy in the event of the leadership making an announcement for formation of a Telangana state.
Congress MP Sai Pratap’s house was also surrounded by the protesters in Kadapa.
In Guntur, protestors laid siege to the house of MP R Sambasiva Rao. They were disappointed that Congress leaders from Seemandhra (Rayalaseema and Andhra regions) had failed to put pressure on the leadership not to divide the state.
There was tension when protestors laid siege to Congress MP L Rajagopal’s house in Vijayawada. Raising slogans against him, they clashed with police.
IANS
