Ministers, MPs asked to be ready to face social boycott

All Central Government offices to be shut down, NHs blocked and trains stopped if ‘T’ Bill is moved in Assembly: Ashok Babu

Expressing confidence that Andhra Pradesh will stay united, AP NGOs’ Association President P. Ashok Babu said that the Union Ministers and MPs from Seemandhra region, who stuck to their posts in spite of repeated appeals by the people, should be prepared for social boycott.

The AP NGOs and other associations would meet soon to discuss ways to make them openly come out in favour of a unified State. If the Ministers and MPs still remain defiant, water and electricity supply to their houses would be cut and pressure on them intensified in various other forms.

Tough message

All Central Government offices and establishments would be shut down, National Highways blocked and trains stopped from the moment the Telangana Bill is moved in the State Legislature, Mr. Ashok Babu announced at the ‘Samaikya Sankharavam’ organised by Seemandhra advocates’ JAC here on Thursday.

Mr. Ashok Babu said most of the MLAs in Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema had given commitment to oppose bifurcation when the Telangana Bill comes to the Assembly for the sake of gauging the opinion of the House in its present session or a special one.

The MLAs who do not make their opposition known would incur the wrath of the people.

Mr. Ashok Babu demanded that the Congress high command should explain why it sent Digvijay Singh to Andhra Pradesh if it were not for ‘political management’ of the situation arising from consistent opposition (to bifurcation) from elected representatives of the ruling party and the Chief Minister himself.

If the Central Government takes a step further by moving the ‘T’ Bill in the Assembly, the agitation would be intensified, Mr. Ashok Babu warned.

Congress slammed

Seemandhra advocates’ JAC Convener and Bezawada Bar Association (BBA) President M. Jayakar said that the Congress’ intention behind bifurcation was very clear and warned that it would have to bear the consequences of driving a wedge among the people of Telangana and Seemandhra regions for political gains.

AP NGOs’ Association General Secretary N. Chandrasekhara Reddy, AP Bar Council members S. Rajendra Prasad, V. Srinivasa Reddy, K. Ravindra Kumar, BBA General Secretary Israel and others were present.