In a far-reaching statement the Congress MLAs have asserted that the Union Ministers from Seemandhra have not tendered their resignations as it will be difficult to get an appointment with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and AICC president Sonia Gandhi without those posts.
Vijayawada West MLA Velampalli Srinivasa Rao and Vijayawada Central MLA Malladi Vishnu expressed their solidarity with the One Town merchants, who took out a rally in protest against the bifurcation of the State, here on Tuesday. The Vijayawada West MLA said that they had tendered resignations following direction from Union Minister K. Chiranjeevi. They said they were supporting the protest.
The Vijayawada Central MLA said that it was necessary to stay put in the Cabinet to have access with the Prime Minister and Ms. Sonia Gandhi and hence they had not resigned. The coastal Andhrites succeeded in putting the December 9 statement on hold all these years and the present decision would also be rolled back, he asserted.
Later, the merchants, in good numbers, took out a rally from Samarang Chowk to Kaleswara Rao Market. The rally culminated into a human chain. The rallies by people from various walks of life marked the protest against the division of the state.
The medical fraternity under the aegis of Indian Medical Association (IMA) Vijayawada chapter took out a rally from the IMA Hall on Eluru Road to Benz Circle. The students JAC took out a rally from SRR and CVR College on Eluru Road to Chuttugunta. The students played cricket on the road. The college lecturers too joined the game. The auto drivers, the water plant workers and dealers took out two separate rallies.
The VMC employees boycotted their duties and staged protest in front of the VMC main office as part of their 72-hour strike. The schools and colleges remained closed.
ONGOLE : Integrationists stepped up their stir for Samaikyandhra by holding peaceful protests on the seventh day of their agitation on Tuesday urging the Centre to keep the state united forever. On the second day of their 72-hours pen down strike, Municipal employees led by its Ongole unit JAC president A.Ramesh Babu took out a huge procession from the Municipal office. After paying floral tributes to the statue of Amarajeevi Potti Sriramulu at the C.V.N.Reading Room centre, they hanged the effigy of TRS chief K.Chandrasekhar Rao using the crane for changing street lights. Shouting slogans against separatists, its secretary Sk.Bapji and other agitators set the effigy ablaze at the busy Church Centre.
Human chain
Over 100 Government doctors led by District TB Control Officer T. Ramesh boycotted the review meeting called by the District administration and formed a human chain to press for Samaikyandhra.
The doctors joined the members of the Andhra Pradesh non-Gazetted Employees and staged a demonstration in-front of the Prakasam Bhavan.
Addressing the employees, its state Associate president Sk.Abdul Basheer exhorted them to get ready for indefinite strike from the midnight of August 12 to put pressure on the ruling Congress to withdraw its decision to form Telangana state. All sections of people, including employees, would be hit hard by the Centre's decision to divide the state, said its district general secretary B.Srinivasa Rao.
Hundreds of students from the HCM Junior college and High school came in a colourful procession with brass band in the front. Led by Samaikyandhra students Front convenor P.Nagaraj they formed a human chain.
In Chirla, goldsmiths, fruit vendors held a demonstration at the busy cloak tower centre. Meanwhile, Samaikyandhra Vidyarthi JAC Chirala unit chalked out a series of stirs beginning with motorcycle rally from Wednesday, said its convenor Dudu Mark.
In Markapur, students from different educational institutions took out a protest march. Photographers as also taxi drivers staged demonstrations. Cable TV operators and multi-system operators unplugged entertainment channels in Markapur and also Yerragondapalem as a mark of protest.
