Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) chief K Chandrashekhar Rao’s statement that the employees of Seema-Andhra origin working in Hyderabad will not have any option but to go back to their original places has evoked a sharp reaction from all quarters including some of the Telangana Congress leaders.
Rao had told a delegation of Telangana Government employees that the employees belonging to other regions will have to go back.
Strongly condemning the remarks, the AP Non-Gazetted Officers’ Association called for the protests by the Andhra employees working in the State Secretariat in Hyderabad. The employees demanding protection and safety observed a pen-down strike and stayed away from their work.
Tension spread in some parts of Hyderabad when the rival organisations of the Government employees held demonstrations. While the APNGO members shouted slogans against the bifurcation, the Telangana NGOs shouted slogans in support of Telangana. The police had to intervene to keep the situation under control.
Several top Congress leaders including Deputy Chief Minister D Rajanarasimhas assured the employees of the other region that their interest will be protected. He said that Constitutional guarantees will be provided to all the people in Hyderabad.
Another senior Minister from Telangana region K Jana Reddy said that the Congress will stand to protect the settlers in the region. Congress MP from Andhra Harsha Kumar said that the people of the three regions will have equal rights over Hyderabad.
Some other leaders including State CPI secretary K Narayana criticised the TRS chief’s statement saying that it will create more obstacle in the path of formation of Telangana.
Meanwhile, resignations by the elected representatives of the two regions continued. latest to join the list was Congress member of lok Sabha from Anakapally Sabbam Hari who faxed his resignation letter to the Speaker.
Hari, who had been sailing with the YSR Congress Party for quite some time said that he was quitting lok Sabha membership in protest against the Congress hurting the people by bifurcating the State.
Meanwhile, in an attempt to reassure the people of the two regions, the Congress is planning to set up a high power committee headed by Defence Minister AK Antony to address their concerns and issues.
But Congress MP from Anantapur A Venkatrami Reddy said that the committee will be of no use to the people of Seema-Andhra region. “Its report will also be ignored the same way Srikrishna committee report was ignored earlier,” he said.
The Congress leadership has given the responsibility of placating the angry leaders of the two regions to Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and PCC president Botsa Satyanaryana.
The Chief Minister on Saturday had separate meetings with the leaders of Telangana as well as Seema-Andhra. The Telangana Ministers and other leaders urged the Chief Minister to carry along the leaders of all the regions in running the affairs of the State.