ESMA Won't Stop T-Stir: TRS

Employee Union representatives from Telangana on Sunday assured Telangana Rashtra Samithi President K Chandrasekhar Rao that they would go ahead with the proposed non-cooperation agitation even if the government invokes the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA).

The assurance came in during a meering that KCR held with representatives of the employees' union to deliberate on the proposed non-cooperation stir.

Addressing the employee leaders, KCR said that he would go on a 'mass hunger-strike' along with as many as 50,000 people to force the Centre to give in to the demand of a separate Telangana.

The TRS chief said that the movement would paralyse the state administration, leaving the government with no option but to agree to the Telangana protagonists' demands.

Talking to mediapersons after the conference, the TRS chief said that though the formation of a Telangana state was imminent, the indecisiveness over the future of the capital was the main reason for the delay.

Warning the government of serious consequences if it resorts to invoking the ESMA to suppress the proposed non-cooperation agitation, KCR said that this would lead to even more intensified protests.

Employee union leaders said they were about to join the agitation following the call given by the Telangana Political Joint Action Committee (TPJAC).

The leaders said they are ready to sacrifice their jobs for the cause of statehood.

"Jobs are not important to us. Our first priority is the formation of a Telangana state," they declared.

The employee union leaders said that they would seek the support of all parties possible for the non-cooperation movement.

Courtesy: INN