Centre conspires to divide Telugu people: Mahila Cong

Relay fasts continue for Samaikyandhra

Visakhapatnam: The united Andhra Pradesh agitators continued their rallies, road blockades, human chains and relay hunger strikes in the city on Sunday protesting against the proposal of bifurcation of the State.

Mahila Congress

State Mahila Congress vice-chairperson Y Jayalakshmi Naidu, who had observed fast for three days from December 22, 2011, in favour of Samaikyandhra, questioned the Centre here on Sunday why it had ignited the agitation in Andhra Pradesh, which was formed on linguistic basis. She alleged that the Centre had hatched a conspiracy to divide Telugu people, weaken and ruin the State to get political advantage.

Stating that no individual or party had the right to divide the State against the wishes of the people, Ms Jayalakshmi Naidu said the stir for unified Andhra Pradesh would continue. She demanded the Centre to make public how far the recommendations of the Justice Sri Krishna Committee were taken into consideration and what made it to take a hasty decision without giving any assurance to Seemandhra people regarding the development of education, industry, agriculture, employment and IT industry. She further demanded the Centre to reveal its actual decision to the public on the bifurcation of the State.

Sishta Karana Association

Members of Visakha District Sishta Karana Association, including City Sishta Karana Sangham, and also associations from Anakapalli, Yalamanchili and Madhuravada, began relay hunger strike at the Gandhi statue near the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) on Sunday raising slogans in favour of unified State. Cutting across party lines, many integrationists, including City Congress Committee president Behra Bhaskar Rao, visited the camp and expressed their solidarity. The association leaders alleged that the proposed bifurcation would affect all sectors in Seemandhra and demanded the resignations of all Union and State ministers, MPs and MLAs before joining the stir. They demanded the Centre to roll back its proposal to divide the State.

City Congress Committee

Members of the City Congress Committee and the Congress Seva Dal, under the leadership of its president Behra Bhaskara Rao, began hunger strike at the GVMC on Sunday as part of continuation of their stir demanding unified Andhra Pradesh. The protestors, raising slogans against TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao, demanded the Centre to withdraw its bifurcation proposal.

TDP urban unit

Members of the urban unit of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) too continued their relay fast at the Gandhi statue near GVMC on Sunday. A large number of party activists and leaders participated, including Telugu Mahilas. Among others, former MLA Pethakamsetti Ganababu and party urban unit president Vasupalli Ganesh Kumar addressed the protesters. Many activists of Samaikyandhra taking out rallies came to the camp to express their solidarity.

Leaders of the TD urban unit hoisted a 1,000-metre party flag at the RK Beach in support of the ‘Atmagaurava Bus Yatra’ taken up by party president N Chandrababu Naidu. A large number of activists participated in the event.

Bar Association

Meanwhile, members of Visakhapatnam Bar Association continued their relay fast in front of the District Court premises on Sunday. Association president and secretary NV Badarinath and Nammi Sanyasi Rao said that the Seemandhra Advocates’ Joint Action Committee (JAC) had decided to boycott courts till September 14. A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting held in Guntur on Saturday, they said. An emergency meeting would be held at the association hall on the District Court premises on Monday, they added.

Members of GVMC Teachers’ JAC, GVMC Employees’ JAC and NGOs JAC continued their relay fast demanding united Andhra Pradesh. A large number of children of Narada Music and Dance College and Sri Vani School of Arts performed ‘Kolatam’ rendering Samaikyandhra songs in front of Telugu Talli statue at Maddilapalem Junction on Sunday. The children expressed the theme of unity and appealed to the Centre to keep the State united as Andhra State was famous for its culture, tradition, arts, music and heritage.