The Samaikyandhra Parirakshana Samithi, which is spearheading the movement for a united Andhra Pradesh, along with leaders of the ruling Congress, the Telugu Desam and YSR Congress burnt copies of the AP State Reorganisation Bill coinciding with Sankranti celebrations.
They were led by APNGOs state president P.Ashok Babu, who is also chairman of the Samithi. He said that “unconstitutional” bill had to be discarded akin to unwanted things on the Bhogi day as “jai samaikyandhra” slogans rant the air.
Congress MP Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy, TDP MP K.Narayana Rao, BJP Andhra Udhima Committee Chairman Bathina Narasimha Rao, YSR Congress party leader Dara Sambaiah and TDP State Farmers Wing president Karanam Balarama Krishnamurthy were among those who joined the protest at the sprawling P.V.R. Municipal Boys High School grounds.
While TDP MLA K. Narayana Reddy vowed to vote against the bill in the state Assembly when the debate resumes from January 17, the two MPs pledged to work for the defeat of the bill in the Lok Sabha.
Samiti leaders Lanka Dinakar, Chalasani Srinivas, Chandrasekhar Reddy, Sriram, B. Venkateswarulu, Sk. Abdul Basheer were among those who took part in the agitation, heralding the stepping of the stir to put pressure on legislators and parliamentarians to stop the state's division at any cost.
