An uneasy calm and tension prevailed across the district after the announcement of Statehood for Telangana on Tuesday while a large number of policemen kept vigil at important public places supported by Rapid Action Force (RAF) and other paramilitary personnel.
The people were apparently taken aback with the Congress Working Committee’s decision to carve Telangana State and no major protest has broken out yet as was anticipated by the Government because the reality is yet to sink in their collective psyche.
It’s rather stoic silence maintained by most stakeholders in the movement for unified State in stark contrast to the boisterous mood which the Srikrishna Committee found them in during their visits.
RAF, State police and other security guards took positions on the main roads in Guntur city and other towns but no untoward incident has since happened.
Tension is however palpable on the streets due to the announcement on T State and with the final phase of Panchayat elections set to be held on Wednesday in the sensitive Narasaraopet division, the fear of disturbances is heightened though there was nothing untoward till late in the night.
Narasaraopet, Vinukonda and some other areas in Palnadu have witnessed a series of protests on the T Statehood issue and the situation is expected to be volatile.
Earlier in the evening, a sizeable number of youths owing allegiance to Samaikyandhra Student JAC took out a rally in Guntur city in protest against bifurcation of the State, which they said will have far-reaching consequences.
The statue of Potti Sriramulu at Hindu College Centre was consecrated with milk by the supporters of unified State. The Samaikyandhra political and student JACs are expected to raise the banner of revolt sooner than later and they may be joined by the political class and civil society organisations.
TDP seeks Ministers’ resignation
Ponnur MLA and TDP Whip Dhulipalla Narendra Kumar demanded that the Congress Ministers and MPs resign from their posts having failed in stalling the formation of Telangana State.
By talking a lot and ultimately prostrating before their high command, the ruling party leaders have cheated the people of Seemandhra region, for which they would be paying a heavy price in the future.
Addressing media persons here on Tuesday, Mr. Narendra Kumar said Union Ministers Kavuri Sambasiva Rao and K. Chiranjeevi, Vijayawada MP Lagadapati Rajagopal and others virtually danced to the tunes of Congress president Sonia Gandhi. They have misled the people by often stating that Telangana State would not be formed but when the D-Day came, they totally failed in impressing upon their top brass about the consequences of dividing the State.
By yielding to the pressure exerted by separatists, Congress party proved that the interests of people in Seemandhra did not matter to it. The decision on Telangana Statehood was apparently motivated by electoral considerations.
Neither the MPs nor Ministers from Seemandhra region took the issue seriously. Some of them kept quiet to protect their business interests, he alleged.
Mr. Kavuri Sambasiva Rao and Mr. Chiranjeevi changed their stand after being given berths in the Union Cabinet. What happened on Tuesday is a sad incident in the history of the State which is going to be split into Andhra and Telangana, the TDP leader said.
