Fresh Round Of Telangana Protests

The Telangana Political Joint Action Committee on Wednesday announced the schedule for another round of agitation demanding statehood for the Telangana region.

However, unlike in the past, this time, the agitation has been confined to 2 days of protest.

On 1 December, the TP-JAC will organise a "Dappu Chatimpu" (meaning "beating of drums") protest across the Telangana region. Pro-Telangana activists will gather at the central locations of all villages, as part of the protest.

9 December will be observed as "Telangana Atma Gaurava Dinam" ("self respect Day"), on which massive dharnas will be conducted at the collectorates of all 10 districts in the Telangana region.

The District Steering Committees of the TP-JAC will meet on 28 November to lend the agitation plan a final shape.

These decisions were taken by the Steering Committee of the TP-JAC, which met at Vasavi Kalyana Mandapam in Khairtabad on Wednesday. Briefing media persons, TP-JAC chairman Prof. M Kodandaram said that the statehood agitation would continue, and future strategies would be discussed and implemented after 10 December.

However, he denied reports of him sitting for a hunger strike, saying that that was the "last missile" that he would use if required.

Kodandaram slammed the Congress-led UPA government for not recognising the Telangana agitation. He said that both the central and the state governments have been trying to suppress the agitation at all levels.

While the Congress leaders from the region are unable to express themselves on the issue, TDP leaders are mute spectators, he said.

The TP-JAC chairman accused Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and DGP V Dinesh Reddy of "misusing" their power to suppress the agitation. He said that cases under serious sections are being booked even for incidents like effigy-burning.

He accused the DGP of behaving like a Seemandhra leader and targeting pro-Telangana activists.

Kodandaram demanded a CBI probe into the recruitment of lecturers through the Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission.

He said that many deserving candidates are being denied jobs due to these irregularities. He also alleged that the people Seemandhra are the major beneficiaries of the Rajiv Yuva Kiranulu jobs scheme.

The TP-JAC demanded that the State Legislative Assembly pass a resolution for the bifurcation of AP, on the lines of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly.

The TP-JAC has also announced its support for the Telangana lawyers' meet being held on 27 November in protest against the cases booked by the State Government against Telangana activists.

Meanwhile, Telangana Gazetted Officers Association president Srinivas Goud stated that the state government has adopted a vengeant attitude towards the employees who had taken part in the Sakala Janula Samme.

He said that Telangana employees were being harassed in all districts in the region, and that if the government fails to stop the harassment within a week, the employees would launch a protest again. (INN)