Telangana Storm in Delhi

AP Bhavan turns a battle ground

• Violence follows as T ministers try to stop CM’s bus to Rajghat
• Kiran stages dharna at Jantar Mantar; union ministers too join
• CM shouts Jai Samaikyandhra slogan for the first time
• Kiran meets President, says he is hopeful
• Geeta Reddy weeps, Dy CM demands Kiran’s resignation
• Vundavalli gives notice of no-trust motion
• Strategy to give notice one by one every day in order to stall T Bill

New Delhi: The rising tempers over the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill 2013 spilled onto the streets of New Delhi on Wednesday and the national capital reverberated with slogans of Jai Samaikyandhra and Jai Telangana. While the pro and anti-Telangana supporters clashed outside Andhra Pradesh Bhavan, the TDP Seemandhra leaders took the Delhi police by surprise by taking up a flash dharna right in front of the OUT gate of Parliament.

On the other hand Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy became the first Chief Minister who not only defied the decision of the party high command but also took the fight right to its doorstep opposing bifurcation of the state. For the first time, Chief Minister also raised the slogan of Jai Samaikyandhra.

Most of the State Ministers and legislators from the Seemandhara region were also present on the dais. Later, he was joined by Union Ministers M Pallam Raju, K Sambasiva Rao, K Chiranjeevi, D Purandeswari and Killi Kruparani for a brief period. However, another Minister, Panabaka Lakshmi, did not participate in the dharna. PCC president Botcha Satyanaryana was next to the Chief Minister all through the dharna. Later, the Seemandhra delegation led by Kiran called on the President of India and sought his intervention in the matter.

MP G Harsha Kumar criticised the “bulldozing” attitude of the Centre in introducing the T Bill.

He said the GoM had not taken into consideration the amendments and the resolution sent by the State legislature. On the other hand, it had announced the date of introducing the Bill in the Rajya Sabha without the consent of the President. “It cannot decide on the dates without knowing whether the President will ask the government to move the Bill or he seek legal opinion.

The govt’s move to pre-empt the President’s decision is condemnable.” As the CM and his team boarded a bus to go to Rajghat to offer prayers before sitting on dharna, the ministers from T region -- J Geeta Reddy, DK Aruna, Sunita Laxma Reddy and MLC Shabbir Ali -- squatted in front of the bus as a protest against his defiance of the high command. Political workers from both sides climbed over barricades and raised slogans of 'Jai Telangana' and 'Jai Samaikandhra' as security forces struggled to keep the situation under control.

Earlier TTDP MLAs held protests in front of the statue of B R Ambedkar at Andhra Bhavan opposing the stand of the CM to hold dharna at Jantar Mantar. TTDP forum convenor E Dayakar Rao said the Congress should first set its house in order instead of blaming the opposition and take the process of bifurcation forward. Talking to the media, Deputy CM C Damodara Rajanarsimha condemned the attitude of Kiran and said that if he had any moral values left, he should resign immediately.

The CM’s behavior and the manner in which the ministers were handled by the police was an insult to T people. He said the CM was behaving like a dictator. Whatever conspiracies the Seemandhra leaders might hatch, they would not be able to stall the process of T formation, he said. In Lok Sabha, Vundavalli Arun Kumar and TDP MPs gave notice for a no- confidence motion. The Seemandhra MPs have decided to give such notices everyday to stall the introduction of the T Bill in Parliament.