T Leaders Unite To Protest PM's Visit

Probably for the first time since the launch of the Telangana agitation in recent years, leaders across party lines assembled on one platform to protest against Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh's visit to the city.

K Keshava Rao (Congress), T Harish Rao (TRS), Bandaru Dattatreyya (BJP), Nagam Janardhan Reddy (Telangana Nagara Samithi), TPJAC chairman M Kodandaram and other leaders of different political parties shared a common platform at a protest meeting held at Indira Park.

However, former PCC President Keshava Rao experienced some humiliation when some activists shouted slogans calling him a "traitor of Telangana". Meanwhile, Nagarkurnool MLA Nagam intervened, and invited Kesava Rao on to the stage.

Later, addressing the gathering, Keshava Rao slammed the Centre for the delay in taking a decision on the Telangana issue. He recalled that the then Union Home Minister P Chidambaram had clarified that the statement made by him on December 9, 2009, was not made on individual capacity and that it was the Centre's announcement on Telangana. KK sought to know the reasons why the decision was not implemented.

He added that post-December there were several developments related to the statehood issue, which proved futile. He advised all the legislators from the region to boycott the Assembly to pressurise the Centre on the statehood issue.

Speaking on the occasion, Nagam Janardhan Reddy accused the Centre of delaying the decision on Telangana over pretexts. He condemned the statement of Union Home Minsiter Sushil Kumar Shinde that smaller states would escalate the problem of Naxalites. He said that the minister was trying to link violence with what was actually a peaceful movement for statehood.

TPJAC chairman Kodandaram alleged that the Centre was delaying the decision on Telangana at the behest of some Seemandhra leaders. He said that the Centre would not be able to maintain the status quo for too long.

He claimed that it was the fear of protests by pro-Telagnana activists that had forced the Prime Minister to use a helicopter from Begumpet Airport to HICC to attend the global biodiversity conference.

"This fear itself reflects the gravity of the movement seeking statehood for Telangana region," he said.

Kodandaram also announced that AP Formation Day on November 1 would be observed as "Telangana Betrayal Day". He also said that the TPJAC's Steering Committee would meet soon to finalise the roadmap for agitation.

TRS MLA Pocharam Srinivas Reddy, former MLA Nayani Narasimha Reddy, BJP leader Baddam Bal Reddy and other leaders also participated in the protest meeting. (INN)