State official song draws huge crowds

Tirupati: More than 3,000 Samaikyandhra activists took part in a novel protest program by singing of Maa Telugu Talli song enmasse, held at the Indira Grounds here on Monday, which was organized by Samiakyandhra-JAC Students from various educational institutions along with doctors, advocates and research scholars attended it.

The students and activists raised slogans in favour of Samaikyandhra. JAC convener Prof. Srikanth Reddy said that everyone in the Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra areas were favoring a unified state for the sake of overall development of the state and other benefits to the students and youth in terms of education and employment opportunities. Despite the rain, the students and women gathered in large number and sang aloud.

Women in large numbers, extended their support to the Samaikyandhra agitation and paid a visit to the hunger strike camp near the Municipal Corporation and actively participated in the ‘Rangoli’ program. The Samaikyandra Parirakshana Samithi JAC convener Dr. Sudha Rani demanded the Union government to keep the state united and appealed to the Congress Party to withdraw the decision to create a separate Telangana state.

Later, women drew several Rangolis, and one Rangoli resembling a crying Telugu Talli, attracted the attention of the onlookers. Students and youth took out a motorbike rally in various streets of Tirupati. Junior Colleges and degree colleges remain closed on Monday and Tuesday. The students of Sri Venkateswara University are continuing their relay hunger strikes at the main entrance.

Bus services to Puttur, Nagari, Srikalahasti and Tirumala towns were as usual on Monday, but services to Chennai and Bengaluru were withdrawn during the day time. The employees of RTC took out a protest in the premises of a central bus station and appealed to the passengers to reschedule their onward journey as all the bus services were going to be stopped by midnight.