Andhra Pradesh

New Delhi, January 05: Andhra Pradesh leaders camping in the national capital for Tuesday’s crucial talks on statehood to Telangana, were seen engaged in hectic political parleys on Monday.

Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) chief K Chandrasekhara Rao met CPI general secretary AB Bardhan and hoped to meet Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar, Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and possibly leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha, Sushma Swaraj, to gain support for his demand for Telangana’s creation.

Hyderabad, January 05: Barring sporadic incidents, the bandh called today by the all-party Joint Action Committee (JAC) in non-Telangana regions in support of united Andhra Pradesh passed off peacefully.

Police registered a case against Telugu Desam MLA K E Prabhakar, who had an argument with the law keepers while enforcing the bandh in Kurnool district.

“They (TDP activists) tried to forcibly close shops and the MLA pushed aside a Circle Inspector and a Constable while enforcing bandh in Kurnool town,” Kurnool District Superintendent of Police Ch Srikant told PTI over the phone.

New Delhi, January 05: The Tuesday meeting on the Telangana issue, called by Union Home Minister P Chidambaram, is unlikely to yield any concrete results and seems to be the first of a series of meetings and wide range of consultations to come on the issue.

With serious differences between leaders of Telangana and Rayalaseema and Andhra leaders on the issue, Tuesday’s meeting is likely to be stormy one. Sources said that Union Home Minister P Chidambaram could also be meeting the representatives of political parties separately.

Hyderabad, January 04: The Telangana Vidyarthi Garjana has warned all political parties of serious consequences if they do not take a pro- Telangana stand at the January 5 meeting convened by the Centre for evolving a mechanism and road map (for formation of separate Telangana state).

The Telangana Students Joint Action Commitee also called a `rail roko’ and national highways blockade on January 5 coinciding with the date of talks to mount pressure on the Centre.

Hyderabad, January 04: Telangana TDP MLAs have made it clear that their party was firm on its Telangana stand and would support any move in favour of Statehood for Telangana.

At a press conference here today, TDP legislators N Janardhan Reddy, M Narasimhulu, P Mahendar Reddy and KS Rathnam refuted the reports in a section of media that the party made a U turn on its Telangana commitment and was going to support United State.

Hyderabad, January 04: With the all-party meeting on Telangana taking place in Delhi on January 5, leaders of the eight political parties which have been invited to talks are busy preparing their line of arguments.

Kurnool, January 04: The Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) activists in the district rose to a rude shock on the first day of the New Year. The distirct office received formal orders that the monthly rent for the building will not be paid and hence lock the doors.

Never did the party activists think that the newly-launched party would popularity within just a year.

Vijayawada, January 04: Former prime minister P V Narasimha Rao was made a scapegoat in the Babri Masjid demolition issue, opined retired IAS officer and the then media advisor to prime minister, P V R K Prasad.

Vijayawada, January 04: The Joint Action Committee (JAC) members of Krishna, Guntur and Prakasam districts have appealed to the people to observe total bandh tomorrow in support of Samaikyandra voluntarily.

Speaking to mediapersons here today, JAC leaders of all parties including Koneru Ranga Rao, Kolanukonda Sivaji, Bonda Umamaheswara Rao and others appealed to the managements of all educational institutions and business establishments to observe bandh tomorrow.

Tirupati, January 04: Rubbishing the news reports of controversy over continuation of A Gurumurthy as Registrar of Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha (RSVP), the authorities today claimed that his appointment and extension of service were strictly in accordance with university rules.

Vijayawada, January 04: Incharge Commissioner of Police and Eluru Range DIG Mahesh M Bhagwat said prohibitory orders under Section 30 are in force in Krishna, East and West Godavari districts and rallies should not be taken out without prior permission.

Speaking to Express here today, he said the proposed bandh tomorrow should be voluntary and the party activists should not force the closure of shops. He said penal action would be taken against those who resort to destructive activities and damage public or private properties.

Tirupati, January 04: Six pilgrims from Lucknow died and four others were injured when a Qualis collided with a lorry head-on at C Mallavaram in the early hours of Sunday.

The van driver also died in the mishap. The deceased were identified as Seva Pande (50), his wife Meera (40), Suneel Pande (45), Aravind (10), Ridhi (7), Kushbu Pande (27) and driver Rajesh (35).

Hyderabad, January 04: Issuing a stern warning to the anti-Telangana Andhra lobby, the student community of Telangana has said that no person will be allowed to return from his or her native place in Andhra after the Sankaranti festival if Andhra leaders become a stumbling block to statehood to the region.

“The 30 lakh people, who visit their native places in Andhra for Sankranti, will not be allowed to return. The Andhra lobby should not lobby against our genuine agitation and against the aspirations of the people of Telangana,’’ speakers at the Telangana Vidyarthi Garjana said.

Hyderabad, January 04: Life in Andhra Pradesh’s Rayalaseema and Andhra regions ground to a halt on Monday as the shutdown called by various groups opposing statehood to Telangana evoked total response.

State-owned Road Transport Corporation (RTC) buses went off the roads in all 13 districts of the two regions while shops, business establishments, banks, petrol pumps, cinema halls and educational institutions remained closed.

Hyderabad, January 04: AS the Union government consults political parties from across Andhra Pradesh on the 5th of January 2010, it will search for common ground on the issue of Telangana.

Whether or not a decision is arrived at quickly, the process of the creation of the new state seems to be on the horizon. The challenge will be two fold. First, in ensuring this comes about in a peaceful and law governed manner. More seriously, it will raise a larger question that needs to be faced squarely.

Tirupati, January 03: In a shocking incident, seven people, including three members of a family, were killed and three others were injured when the Toyota Qualis collided to a lorry on Mallavaram 150-By-Pass Road under M R Palle limits, about five km from here today.

M R Palle Sub-Inspector Chandrashekar told that the Qualis, carrying ten people, including driver, was proceeding to Tirumala from Chittoor when it hit thelorry which was on its way to Chittoor.

Vijayawada, Janaury 03: The opposition Telugu Desam Party(TDP) in Andhra Pradesh has criticised the Union Home Minister P Chidambaram for allegedly hatching a “conspiracy” to divide Andhra Pradesh into two States.

Hyderabad, January 03: There is no respite in Andhra Pradesh from shutdowns and protests over the issue of statehood for Telangana as political parties and student groups have called for another shutdown in coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema Monday.

Tpolitical he parties and student bodies met in Vijayawada Saturday and formed a Joint Action Committee (JAC) to oppose the division of the state.

Hyderabad, January 03: Telugu Desam Party (TDP) senior leaders G Muddu Krishnama Naidu and S Chandramohan Reddy today demanded from Congress to clarify its stand on Telangana statehood.

The two senior TDP leaders told reporters here today, though the UPA headed by Congress included Telangana in its Common Minimum Programme in 2004, the home minister announced on December 9 the process of Telangana be commenced without consulting the UPA partners.

They said that all the UPA partners including DMK and NCP raised objections on the statement issued by home minister on December 9.

Hyderabad, January 03: ith the separate Telangana movement threatening to cause longterm damage to the performance of the IT and IT-enabled services (ITeS) sectors, the industry has started lobbying with politicians seeking safety and security for its assets and workers.

A group of about 20 top honchos of the sector including representatives of leading companies like Infosys, Microsoft, Genpact and other IT and ITeS outfits met chief minister K Rosaiah, TRS chief K Chandrasekhara Rao and TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu.

Hyderabad, January 02: There is no respite in Andhra Pradesh from shutdowns and protests over the issue of statehood for Telangana as political parties and student groups have called for another shutdown in coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema Monday.

Tpolitical he parties and student bodies met in Vijayawada Saturday and formed a Joint Action Committee (JAC) to oppose the division of the state.

Hyderabad, January 02: The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of all political parties, which met here today, expressed solidarity with the proposed `Chalo Hyderbad’ rally of students, Vidyarthi Garjana, on January 3 and urged the State Government to grant permission for it.

The meeting, attended by leaders of the TRS, TDP and BJP, decided to send a delegation to the chief minister tomorrow to request him for permission for the rally. The Congress representatives, however, were conspicuous by their absence.

Sangareddy, January 02: The protests demanding separate Telangana continued in various districts of the region today.

SANGAREDDY: Government employees, along with their families, staged relay hunger strikes across Medak district. Representatives of various political parties expresed their solidarity with the employees in Sangareddy, Siddipet and Medak division.

Students and women squatted on the roads and took out rallies.

Vijayawada. January 02: Noted writer and cine artiste Gollapudi Maruti Rao inaugurated the 21st Book Exhibition being organised by the Vijayawada Book Festival Society at the PWD Grounds here this evening.

Speaking on the occasion, he said that he was proud to inaugurate the book festival because exactly 50 years 21 days ago he worked as a sub-editor in Indian Express Publications, Vijayawada.

Hyderabad, January 02: At a time when the decibel levels of the Congress leaders’ voices in support of united Andhra Pradesh are falling, the party’s staunch integrationist and Endowments Minister, G Venkata Reddy, has brought to the centre-stage, the demand for constitution of a second States’ Reorganisation Commission (SRC) which is repulsive to those seeking statehood for Telangana.