Unified Andhra Pradesh protagonists have flayed Telangana separatists for resorting to blackmailing the Centre and said such tactics will not work on such issues.
Speakers at the mammoth human chain formed by students at Sri Krishna Devaraya junction here on Saturday under the aegis of Samaikhya Andhra Parirakshana Samithi (SAPS) called the separate state demand as a retrograde step, which would never be conceded by the Government of India.
SAPS State general secretary N. Raja Reddy said the separate State demand defied reason and logic, as it was neither based on regional backwardness, nor on economic inequality, but purely on sentiment.
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“Provoking people in the name of sentiment with an eye on power and political positions can never be tolerated,” he said.
While appealing to the political leaders of Seemandhra region to look beyond their party affiliations and join hands to ensure the unity of the State, he cautioned them that the people would teach them a fitting lesson if they stayed away from the agitation for their political survival.
Telugu Sankethika Nipunula Vibhagam (TSNV) district president U. Srinivasa Chowdary said the Srikrishna panel report should be the yardstick in economic packages to backward regions.
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SAPS state publicity secretary K.V. Prasad recalled that the present Telangana agitation was nothing compared to the massive ‘Jai Telangana’ and ‘Jai Andhra’ movements of 1969 and 1972 and hence was set to fall flat.
Women leaders P.Bharati and P.Kumari, student JAC leaders P.Tej Prakash and K.V. Ratnam also derided separate Rayalaseema protagonist Byreddy Rajasekhara Reddy, saying he fell victim to the advice of ‘pseudo intellectuals’ of the region.