Ashok Babu: Apologies to Seemandhra not necessary

Hyderabad: "What did we achieve by the Samaikyandhra stir all these days? We sacrificed our salaries as well as our children's future and participated in the agitation. If we now call of the strike, what answer should we give to the Seemandhra people? For all these days we have been reiterating that we call off the agitation only if a clear assurance is given.

But why we should we call off the strike, when no such assurance has been received? Why did we fail in implementing a clear strategy in the agitation? Why are we not in a position to condemn the statements given by the central ministers that the agitation in which people voluntarily involved has been said to be a sponsored agitation? At one particular point we seek resignation from MPs and at some other time we ask them to not resign.

Sometimes we say that Telangana bill should be defeated in the state assembly and some other time we only say that the bill will not come to state assembly. Why don't we have the clarity on issues? Why did we fail in joining the hands with all groups fighting for the same purpose? If we show the cause of calling off the agitation in the pretext of employees' financial problems, won't the people hate us? How can we mortgage the faith the people had in us?" these have been the questions posed by various APNGOs leaders to Paruchuri Ashok Babu, after he met the chief minister on Thursday. Almost 52 organisations participated in this meeting.

In the beginning, Ashok Babu mentioned about the problems being faced by the lower cadre employees. He mentioned about their financial problems. He sought opinion from the participants that how the agitation can be called off for time being and to continue at a later stage. Later, the president of AP Revenue services organisation, Bopparaju Venkateshwarlu spoke and held collective responsibility for the failure of not including political and other organisations working for the same cause. He opined that instead of seeking to defeat the Telangana bill in the state assembly, we should have supported the party which demanded immediate assembly session for the declaration of united A.P. He even praised the agitation of Telangana employees who supported such a party for their demand.

Almost all the leaders agreed with the opinion of Venkateswarlu. They asked Ashok Babu - once CM himself does not have any clarity, how can they get a statement from him with clarity? Later they said instead of showing the CM's statement as the reason for calling off their strike, they should tell the people that being salaried employees, this was the ultimate limit for them and further they cannot fight. By this, they said, at least the political leaders and common people would lead the agitation.

They also opined that if they call of the strike at this juncture, people may think otherwise that they have been bribed for doing so. In between the meeting, there was a deep argument between pro and anti groups of Ashok Babu. While answering all the points raised by the participants, Ashok Babu said after every other means failed, then only APNGOs started their agitation and hence there is no need to say sorry to the Seemandhra people.