Andhra Pradesh Formation Day was observed with gay abandon all over the state though amidst tense situation and tight security in the Telangana region where the separatists declared it as a “betrayal day” and organized black flag demonstrations.
The State government, keeping in view the decision of the Telangana ministers to stay away from the official functions, has permitted the Collectors to hoist the national flags in their respective districts. Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy presided over the official function held at NTR Stadium and hoisted the national flag.
While the official celebrations were marred by protests and dharnas in the Telangana region, the celebrations were held in gay abandon in the Seemandhra regions. As a matter of fact, Osmania University Campus turned into a war zone with the students raining stones on the police leading to lathi charge and lobbing of teargas shells by the latter.
Speaking at the official function at NTR Satadium in the stage capital, the Chief Minister firmly asserted that the State Government would not compromise in the maintenance of law and order and ensure adequate protection to the lives and properties of the people of the State.
Ironically, the Chief Minister’s assertion to uphold peace in the State came even as unprecedented police arrangements were made in and around the stadium besides covering the houses and apartments in the vicinity with curtains.
Declaring that the State government’s prime concern and priority was to safeguard the interests of the farmers in tune with its policy of being farmer friendly, the Chief Minister said that in the next two years it was his endeavor to ensure the needed water to irrigate 30-lakh acres for which an estimated Rs 16,000 crores would be earmarked.
The Chief Minister said despite the power crisis being faced in the state, the government was providing free power to 32-lakh agricultural pump sets. While the daily demand for power was to the tune of 286 million units, the generation was only 225 million units per day. In order to overcome the shortage, the government was purchasing all available surplus power from outside and as a matter of fact an additional 16 million units was purchased this year when compared to last year. All efforts would be made to complete the works on the southern grid, he observed.
The Chief Minister before taking part in the official function at the NTR Stadium, garlanded the statues of Potti Sriramulu and Telugu Thalli near the Secretariat. The police made heavy security arrangements in the area by setting up barricades and check-posts to thwart any attempts of the T-agitators to create a law and order problem.
It might be mentioned here that the TRS and TJAC have given a call to observe the AP Formation Day as “ Telangana Betrayal Day” in the region and called upon the Ministers, MPs, MLAs of the region to boycott the official function and hoist black flags. Thus as a precautionary measure the police kept Prof. Kodandaram, Chairman of TAJC, under house arrest in his residence at Tarnaka.
The students of OU after hoisting a black flag in the campus tried to take out a rally and proceed to the NTR Stadium where the official function was being presided over by the Chief Minister. However the heavy contingent of the armed police posted around the campus prevented the students from marching ahead at the NCC Gate. This led to a clash between the students and the police leading to the latter resorting to a lathi charge. The fleeing students hurled stones at the police forcing them use teargas shells.
The Telangana advocates hoisted black flag on the court building in Secunderabad and Warangal. The TRS legislator Mr. Vinay Bhaskar took out a rally and marched towards the Congress Bhavan in Warangal in a bid to hoist the black flag. However, the police prevented them in their attempts leading to a clash. The police resorted to a lathi-charge and arrested the TRS legislator and others.
The official functions in Nalgonda, Nizamabad and Mahbubnagar turned out to be damp squib and the District Collectors were forced to deliver their speeches in the near-empty grounds. (NSS).