Union Minister of State for Railways Kotla Jayasuryaprakasa Reddy resigned from his Ministerial post on Friday. He met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi at 5.45 p.m and submitted his resignation and asked him to relieve him of the responsibilities immediately.
The Prime Minister was understood to have had a brief chat with Mr. Suryaprakasa Reddy about the conditions in Seemandhra. He told the Prime Minister that the leaders failed to explain the Congress stand properly to the people causing a lot of confusion.
Mr. Suryaprakasa Reddy said he would remain in the Congress party and fight it out within the party. He told The Hindu that he was not mentally prepared to think of any alternative.
“I know the Congress party had done a blunder but persons like me have no option except to fight it out,”, he said.
Mr Reddy is expected to return to Kurnool on Monday and speak to his supporters.
Meanwhile, agitators protesting against the bifurcation of the State set ablaze the BSNL office on the collectorate campus here on Friday. The agitators barged into the office when there was nobody. Computers and furniture worth Rs. 2 lakh were destroyed in the fire.
The protesters set on fire the BJP office also in the city by breaking the glass panes. The office-bearers did not respond on the quantum of the damage to the office.
Tyres were set ablaze on the road between C. Camp and Collectorate. Flames and thick smoke billowed into the sky at several places. The fires were seen smouldering till evening. At Aluru, the protesters set on fire a vehicle at MPDO office.
The protests rocked Dhone, Nandikotkur, Yemmiganur, Adoni and Nandyal towns. The students blocked the highway at Rayalaseema university.
