Andhra Pradesh

Hyderabad, December 17: Seeking to mount pressure on the Centre to reverse its decision on Telangana State, Congress legislators from Andhra and Rayalaseema regions today decided to take their battle to Delhi.

The members nominated Kurnool MLA TG Venkatesh to lead the delegation to Delhi for holding talks with the Central leaders.

Leaders of Andhra and Rayalaseema regions had a luncheon meeting at the residence of former minister and Tadipatri MLA JC Diwakar Reddy here to discuss their future course of action.

Hyderabad, December 17: TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao today said he is ready to wait for the formation of a separate Telangana to happen in the normal course but warned of a “catastrophe” if the Centre goes back on its announcement on the statehood issue.

“There is no question of waiting or beating. When Chattisgarh and Jharkhand were formed, the same process will happen here. It is an administrative process that remains to be completed,” Rao told reporters here.

Vijayawada, December 17: NTR Telugu Desam Party President and widow of former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N T Rama Rao Lakshmiparavati today appealed to Telugu people to unitedly fight for protection of United Andhra Pradesh and to see that the Telugu land was not divided.

Ms Lakshmiparavati, who visited the huger camp where L Rajagopal, MP, was on fast-unto-death programme, alleged that unpopular leaders of Congress from Telangana region had raised the issue of separate Telangana before the Centre and diverted it’s attention.

Hyderabad, December 17: Telangana Rastra Samithi (TRS)) President K Chandrasekhara Rao today said no one could stop the formation of separate Telangana as the Union Government had given a clear cut statement on carving out a separate State.

Addressing the media, he said the Union Government would not go back on its decision as there was no precedent in the history of the Centre retracting on its decision.

Vijayawada, December 17: Amid high drama and chaos, the police today forcibly broke the ‘fast-unto-death’ agitation by Mylavaram TDP legislator Devineni Umamaheswara Rao and Party State Secretary Bonda Umamaheswara Rao at Zilla Parishad Guest House here.

Police shifted them to the Government General Hospital here.

Mylavaram TDP legislator Devineni Umamaheswara Rao along with the party’s state unit Secretary Bonda Umamaheswara Rao, observing fast since last five days, were inside a room in the guest house.

They locked it from inside, not allowing doctors to give treatement for them.

Vijayawada, Dec 17: The police forcibly lifted TDP MLA Devineni Umamaheswara Rao and Bonda Umamaheswara Rao, who were sitting here on fast-unto-death seeking unified Andhra Pradesh, to shift them to a hospital, as their health deteriorated on the fifth day of the fast.

The shifting of the two leaders to the Government General Hospital resulted in tensions on Bandar Road. As the TDP activists sensed that the two fasting leaders would be lifted any moment, they gathered in large numbers at the camp.

Vijayawada, December 17: A tense situation prevailed at the Zilla Parishad Guest house here following a suicide threat by a TDP legislator, who is on a ‘fast-unto-death’ over united Andhra Pradesh issue.

TDP Mylavaram legislator Devineni Umamaheswara Rao, who was observing the fast since last five days, threatened to commit suicide if the fast was broken by the police.

Hyderabad, December 17: Proceedings in both Houses of Parliament were disrupted on Wednesday with the entire opposition creating uproar over price rise while the TDP members protested against creation of Telangana state.

Lok Sabha was adjourned twice during the Question Hour and later for the day after passage of three bills within 15 minutes amid din.

Rajya Sabha too was rocked during the Question Hour, forcing its adjournment but normalcy returned after the House re-convened at 1200 hours.

Hyderabad, December 17: Bowing to pressure from his Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) leaders in coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions, actor-turned-politician K Chiranjeevi on Wednesday decided to resign from the Assembly.

Chiranjeevi, who represents Tirupati Assembly constituency in Rayalaseema region, will announce his resignation in the temple town on Thursday and join the movement against the proposed division of Andhra Pradesh, PRP leader K Vidyadhar Rao said.

Tirupati, December 17: Supporters of united Andhra continued their protests for the sixth day today in the temple town with political parties and students organising relay hunger strikes, while agitators set afire a government vehicle at Sri Venkateswara University (SVU) campus and two youths were injured in KCR effigy burning in Chittoor district.

Hyderabad, December 17: Even as protests against bifurcation of the State continued, Telangana leaders on Wednesday vowed to continue their struggle until a separate State was carved out, in a move apparently aimed at preventing their voice from being drowned in the din created by integrationists.

New Delhi, December 17: Adopting a go-slow approach to defuse the crisis in Andhra Pradesh over formation of a separate Telangana state, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday told non- Telangana MPs that an amicable solution would be worked out keeping their sentiments mind, but not before the protests subside.

New Delhi, Dec 17: Adopting a go-slow approach to defuse the crisis in Andhra Pradesh over formation of a separate Telangana state, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday told non- Telangana MPs that an amicable solution would be worked out keeping their sentiments mind, but not before the protests subside.

Hyderabad, December 15: Baring stray incidents of destruction of properties by protesters demanding a unified Andhra Pradesh, the situation in coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions in the state was by and large peaceful and under control, a senior police officer said on Wednesday.

Apart from damaging public properties and road blockades, the anti-Telangana protesters resorted to ‘rail roko’ at seven places in Kadapa, Guntur, Vizianagaram and West Godavari districts, but the situation is under control, Inspector General of Police A R Anuradha told reporters here.

Rajahmundry (AP), December 16: All party-sponsored bandh in support of united Andhra Pradesh was observed in the entire district peacefully here today, with road blockades and relay hunger strikes continued for the sixth day.

Former State Minister Jakkaumpudi Ramamohan Rao took part in the relay hunger fast in the city though his health condition was not satisfactory.

Lawyers boycotted the court for the second consecutive day today and observed ‘Black Day’.

Rajahmundry, December 16: The all-party protest against division of Andhra Pradesh passed off peacefully today in East Godavari district barring the arrest of Congress leader Vijayalakshm.

The protest, in the form of shut downs, rail and road blockades, continued in the district for the fifth day today. The all party delegation met here and decided to stall work in the Central Government organisations like ONGC, Kakinada Port, Rajahmundry Airport and GAIL, if the Centre did not respond to their protest.

Hyderabad, December 16: In a significant development, Telugu Desam legislators urged Assembly Speaker N Kirankumar Reddy today to accept their resignations from the House.

The TDP legislators, hailing from Andhra and Rayalaseema regions, resigned a few days ago soon after the Centre’s announcement that it would initiate the process of creating Telangana State. They followed in the footsteps of their coounterparts in the Congress and Praja Rajyam, and tendered their resignations on December 10 and 11.

Hyderabad, December 16: To clear the extra rush of passengers, the South Central Railway will run 14 special trains between Kacheguda-Bangalore and 12 special trains between Nanded and Dadar.

Train No. 0703 Kacheguda- Bangalore Special train will depart from Kacheguda on December 23 and 30, January 3, 10, 17, 24 and 31, at 2155 hrs and arrive in Bangalore at 1155 hrs the next day.

Tirupati, December 16: In support of united Andhra, Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) Chief K Chiranjeevi will participate in a hunger strike in his Tirupati Assembly Constituency tomorrow.

Talking to newspersons here today, Party City Convener Vijayakumar, who was observing a relay hunger strike, said his party would change its stand on ”Telangana issue” as the present ongoing movement in support of united Andhra was getting tremendous public support from Rayalaseema and other parts of the State.

Vijayawada, Dec 16: Two leaders of the Telugu Desam Party who were fasting in Vijayawada and five students who were on a fast in Visakhapatnam were on Wednesday moved to hospitals by the police.

Two of the five Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leaders sitting here on fast-unto-death in favour of unified Andhra Pradesh were shifted to the Government General Hospital in a pre-dawn swoop by the police on Wednesday.

Vijayawada, December 16: Police arrested Telugu Desam Party (TDP) Nuzvid legislator C Ramakotaiah, former Mayor Anuradha and two others, who were on a fast-unto-death at Zilla Parishad Guest House, here today.

The arrests were made in the wake of the deteriorating health condition of the MLA and others, police sources said.

However, Mylavaram Legislator Devineni Umamaheswara Rao and party State Secretary B Umamaheswara Rao were not arrested as the other leaders and scores of activists present at the fasting venue prevented it.

New Delhi, Dec 16: The Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) on Tuesday urged the people and political parties of Andhra Pradesh to maintain peace and harmony.

The appeal came after the CCPA met in the evening to take stock of the situation in the State, which has been on the boil for over a fortnight now over the creation of a Telangana state.

At the meeting, Congress Ministers briefed the key allies on the developments and the factors that dictated the Union government’s announcement last Wednesday on Telangana formation.

Hyderabad, December 16: Regional differences in Andhra Pradesh Congress burst out in the open today when late YSR’s son Jaganmohan Reddy joined Telugu Desam Party protesters in Lok Sabha, only to face demands for disciplinary action from party members of Parliament from Telangana.

New Delhi, December 16: The Union home ministry’s advice prevailed over political counsel from the Congress’s Andhra Pradesh (AP) MPs to pave the way for last week’s controversial midnight announcement on statehood for Telangana.

The home ministry pressed the panic button based on intelligence reports warning of a possible resurgence of Maoist violence in Telangana around the sentiment for a separate state. It argued in favour of pre-empting a Maoist consolidation in the region by taking the issue off the radar with the announcement of a Telangana state.

Hyderabad, December 16: Even as protests against the Centre’s decision to set in motion the process for forming separate Telangana state continued for the fifth day in coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K Rosaiah tonight exhorted his cabinet colleagues to unitedly work for restoration of peace and tranquility in the state.

He appealed to them to leave the vexed issue to the Centre for adjudication, information minister J Geeta Reddy told reporters after the cabinet meeting.