OUJAC Protests At Gandhi Bhavan

Students, allegedly belonging to Osmania University Joint Action Committee, staged a dharna on Wednesday protesting the delay in the formation of a separate Telangana state at the Republic Day celebrations in Gandhi Bhavan, and raised 'Jai Telangana' slogans.

The students' protests came even as the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) President D Srinivas unfurled the tricolour to mark the 62^nd Republic Day celebrations.

Sensing trouble, the police immediately took them into custody and shifted them to a nearby police station.

The All India Congress Committee General Secretary, Ponguleti Sudhakar, alleged that Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) was provoking students in the name of Telangana.

He objected to TRS President K Chandrasekhar Rao's comments against Congress leaders. Sudhakar said the Congress party at the centre would take an appropriate decision on the Telangana statehood issue at an appropriate time.

Srinivas also alleged that a section of the leaders was criticizing the Congress President Sonia Gandhi only because it was unable to digest her leadership skills.

Addressing the gathering after hoisting the tricolor, the PCC chief expressed confidence that the Congress would come to power in the next general elections in 2014 under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi.

He asked the vested elements to stop criticizing Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.

"Despite regional and language differences, the people of the country are unanimous when the issue of nationality comes to the fore," the PCC chief pointed out, and he recalled the services of the freedom fighters to the nation.

Srinivas said that the Congress had preserved democratic values and maintained communal harmony even during turbulent times.

Many senior Congress leaders, including Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, participated in the Republic Day celebrations.

Meanwhile, Deputy Speaker Nadendla Bhaskar unfurled the National Flag on the Assembly premises while the Legislative Council Chairman A Chakrapani also hoisted the tricolour. They paid rich tributes to the nation's freedom fighters.

Courtesy: INN