Sporadic incidents of violence and suicide by at least three activists marred the Telangana Bandh called by Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) on Monday to protest against the arrest of its president, K Chandrasekhara Rao and police cane charge on students in Hyderabad on Sunday.
Unhappy with the outcome of the meeting convened by the Centre on the Telangana issue, Telangana Rashtra Samiti chief K Chandrashekar Rao on Friday termed it as a futile exercise. The party also called for a Telangana bandh on Saturday to protest against the government's attitude towards the demand for a separate state.
After being trounced in the recent state assembly polls, there is a growing demand from the Bharat Rashtra Samiti leaders and cadre to the high command to change its name to Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS).
The seven point terms of reference of the Srikrishna Commission, announced on Friday, has evoked a negative response from the leaders of the pro-Telangana movement. The Union home ministry announced the terms of reference of the five-member committee and set a deadline of December 31. The ministry asked the committee to look in to the demands for a separate Telangana and for an undivided Andhra Pradesh.
Dr Sangam Prithviraj Yadav, chief of the Students' Joint Action Committee for the Telangana movement, claims that the Telangana Rashtra Samiti, which has been at the forefront of the movement, is actually delaying the creation of a new state. In an interview with rediff.com's Vicky Nanjappa, he explains why.
In an interview to rediff.com's Vicky Nanjappa, K T Rama Rao speaks about the ongoing agitation and on possibility of shaking hands with the Congress once Telangana is formed.
Speculations were rife that the Centre might announce the formation of a high level official committee to go in to the issues such as the status of Hyderabad, the future capital of the Andhra-Rayala Seema state and sharing of waters of Krishna and Godavari between Telangana and Andhra.
The attack took place after the BJP MP was heard in a video targeting the state's ruling party by making alleged disparaging remarks against Kavitha, also a ruling party MLC.
At least ten people, including a journalist, were injured in clashes between supporters of Telugu Desam Party and Telangana Rashtra Samiti in Warangal district on Friday. The violence broke out when pro-Telangana demonstrators tried to block the convoy of Telugu Desam president N Chandrababu Naidu while it was entering Warangal district at Janagaon on Friday morning.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Monday ruled out passing a resolution in the assembly seeking creation of separate Telangana and asserted that no one could force the Centre to take a decision on the bifurcation of the state.
While every party jostles to claim credit for the formation of Telangana and stitch poll alliances, the confused voter laments about the future of India's 29th state.
Earlier, TRS and TDP MLAs disrupted Governor ESL Narasimhan's speech on the opening day of the assembly's Budget session. They tried to tear his speech copy and climbed on the podium.
Telangana Rashtra Samiti chief K Chandrashekhar Rao on Tuesday said he is ready to hold talks with the Centre but will not accept any committee to look into the Telangana issue. "The Centre should immediately come forward and find a solution. We demand that it sticks to its earlier statement. We are not ready to accept any committees. Except wasting time, these committees serve no purpose," he said. "The patience of Telanagana people need not be tested unnecessarily," he said
"TRS welcomes the decision of the UP Chief Minister. It is a bold step. It is very good for democracy. She has also reiterated her support to the formation of Telangana. For her act of kindness, I thank her," TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao told media persons in Hyderabad before leaving for Delhi to attend the Parliament session.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K Rosaiah will be visiting New Delhi on Wednesday amid mounting pressure on the Congress to resolve the Telangana issue.
Telangana Rashtra Samiti president K Chandrasekhar Rao and a delegation of the Telangana political Joint Action Committee on Friday left for Delhi to press for an early decision in favour of a separate Telangana state. The delegation will meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other important leaders including Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj, Rao told reporters. The BJP supports the demand for a separate Telangana state.
In a bid to carry forward the momentum created by the resignations of Telangana MLAs and MPs, the Telangana Joint Action Committee has called for a 48-hour strike in the region from Tuesday.
Telangana Rashtra Samiti and Telangana Joint Action Committee have set the tone for the indefinite mass strike from Tuesday with a massive show of strength in Karimnagar district.
The seven-point terms of reference of Sirkrishna committee announced by the central government has plunged Andhra Pradesh into a political uncertainty and pro-Telangana groups have given a call for strike in the region on Saturday.
The Telangana Rashtra Samiti, which has spearheaded the movement for a separate state in Andhra Pradesh, is furious over the Centre's apparent backtracking over the issue.In an interview with rediff.com's Vicky Nanjappa, TRS general secretary Subhash Reddy states that the party is willing to give the government some time to resolve the issue, but will rest only after they 'get their state back'.
Telangana Rashtra Samithi chief K Chandrasekhar Rao, on a fast for the last six days demanding a separate Telangana state, was on Saturday shifted to the ICU of a Hyderabad hospital after his condition deteriorated, even as the party called a two-day bandh in the region from Monday.
The Telangana Joint Action Committee went ahead with its 'vanta varpu' or cook-and-eat agitation on the roads in Hyderabad on Sunday to press for a separate Telangana state.
The MLAs -- 10 from the Telangana Rashtra Samiti, 2 from Congress, one each from Bharatiya Janata Party, Telugu Desam Party and Praja Rajyam -- met Speaker N Kiran Kumar Reddy in Hyderabad and submitted their resignation. The legislators said they resigned in order to mount pressure on the Centre to take immediate steps for formation of a separate state.
TRS members refused to co-operate and disrupted proceedings.
Dr Sangam Prithviraj, who leads the students at the Osmania University in Hyderabad, says that they were foolish to trust TRS chief K Chandrashekhar Rao and that now all students in all the 10 districts of Telangana will take the movement forward themselves.
In a bid to intensify its demand of statehood for Telangana once again, the Telangana Rashtra Samiti has lined up a series of agitations this month.
Even as calls for intensifying the stir for a separate Telangana echoed a day after Centre deferred a decision on granting statehood, all eyes are now on Telangana Rashtra Samiti chief K Chandrashekhar Rao who on Monday evening is expected to chalk out the road map for the agitation in the days to come.
Supporters of the Telangana movement are celebrating the results of the by-polls held in Andhra Pradesh. The Telangana Rashtra Samiti has swept the by-polls and pro-Telangana activists claim that the election result is an open message to the Shri Krishna Commission.TRS general secretary Subhash Reddy said, "I am elated.The Shri Krishna Commission doesn't need better proof of the people's sentiments about the issue. This result is an open letter to the commission."
As Andhra Pradesh heads for by-elections in 10 Assembly seats, a sort of mini- referendum, whether the people of Telangana region want a separate state or not- region's politics is all set for a major realignment of forces.
The firm, which in recent years won the prestigious Zojila tunnel deal among other projects, forayed into city gas and acquired a media group, purchased electoral bonds of Rs 966 crore in total.
The ruling Telugu Desam party is trying to take advantage of the anxiety of Telangana Rashtra Samiti over the coming by elections to 12 assembly seats in Telangana region. While the TRS was hoping that all the MLAs who had resigned in support of Telangana state will be re-elected unanimously and no other party will enter the fray, Congress and Telugu Desam have queered the pitch by declaring their intentions to contest the by elections.
Naidu, whose 150-day-long Mee Kosam Yatra entered the West Godavari district on Sunday night spoke to Rao for 15 minutes, well informed and reliable sources in the TDP said. Since Chandrasekhara Rao left the TDP in 2001 and launched the movement for Telangana and formed his own political party, it was first time that the two leaders spoke directly.
"So far about 300 people, included students, committed suicide for the cause of a separate Telangana state. Government of India never considered this. The Centre has clearly succumbed to the pressure exerted by the Andhra-Rayalaseema lobby," he alleged, adding, "It is a total betrayal of the people of Telangana. The terms of reference are totally immoral."
In a bid to find a way out of the Telangana imbroglio, the Centre on Wednesday convened a meeting in New Delhi on January 5 of 8 recognised political parties in Andhra Pradesh for a discussion on the issue.
The explanation of the ruling Congress leaders that United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi was trying her best to evolve a broad consensus did not cut much ice with the voters.
The Osmania University Joint Action Committee on Telangana on Tuesday appealed to political parties in Andhra Pradesh to field relatives of people who died during the agitation for a separate state when the by-elections are held in over ten constituencies in the state.Manavat Rai, a member of the OU Joint Action Committee, said the parties should field relatives of the people, especially students, who have 'sacrificed their lives for the cause of a separate state'.
TRS general secretary Subash Reddy, in an interview with rediff.com's Vicky Nanjappa, elaborates on his party's plans in the days to come.
Two Congress members of Parliament from Telangana region have sent back their gunmen to the government saying the people were enough to protect them and they don't need any security.
Even as legislators of the Telugu Desam Party and the Telangana Rashtra Samiti hailing from Telangana region decided to go ahead with their resignations in support of a separate state on Friday, the Congress group from the region softened its stand and on Tuesday aborted its visit to New Delhi to pressurise the party high command.
Two crucial issues will be discussed at the all party meet convened by the Centre to discuss the Telangana crisis on January 5 -- the future status of Hyderabad and introducing a resolution on the creation of a separate state in the Andhra Pradesh assembly.The Centre has already prepared its replies to queries related to these two points, in case they are raised by the Telangana Rashtra Samiti or the Bharatiya Janata Party, during the meeting.
