Ministers from Seemandhra vowed to defeat the resolution on division in the Assembly rather than quitting their posts.
Their decision comes in wake of the vociferous demand made by the APNGOs and other agitating groups in Seemandhra that all Ministers from the region should resign.
At a meeting here on Monday night, Ministers Ganta Srinivasa Rao, S. Sailajanath, K. Venkatakrishna Reddy, Pithani Satyanarayana, Kondru Murali Mohan, Ahmedullah, T. G. Venkatesh and E. Pratap Reddy rejected the demand and said it was unfair. “We have been fighting for the last three years against bifurcation. It will be a wrong strategy for us not to be present in the Assembly when the discussion on division takes place. We have to remain in the Assembly to defeat the resolution,” Dr. Sailajanath said .
Call up APNGOs
Some Ministers reportedly telephoned the APNGOs leaders and sought to know why they were targeting them and requested them not to insist on the resignations. The APNGOs leaders were non-committal to the plea. Reviewing the ongoing agitation, Dr. Sailajanath said they supported the people’s movement.
Dr. Sailajanath and Mr. Srinivasa Rao are leaving for New Delhi on Wednesday to meet the central leadership. Mr. Venkatesh, who came under attack by Seemandhra agitators in Kurnool on Sunday, He blamed YSR Congress activists of provoking the people to target the Congress leaders.
