Seemandhra bandh throws life out of gear

More ministers resign; YSR Congress chief Jagan Reddy to go on an indefinite hunger strike

Normal life in 13 districts of Seemandhra- coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema — was thrown out of gear on Friday, with agitators and political activists enforcing a total shutdown in protest against the Union Cabinet’s decision to proceed with the state’s bifurcation.

Houses of Congress leaders, including that of Pradesh Congress Committee president Botcha Satyanarayana, and party offices in Vizianagaram and Kurnool were targeted by agitators, leading to police lathicharge. Agitators also blocked important highways, leading to vehicles being stranded. Traffic on highways connecting Bangalore, Chennai and Odisha was severely affected. Clashes among political parties were also reported in a few regions.

As Seemandhra agitators had put the onus of stalling the bifurcation on central ministers and members of Parliament, most ministers hailing from Seemandhra informed the media they had sent their resignations as soon as they heard the news of the Union Cabinet’s decision. (THE TELANGANA EQUATION)

Union ministers who have given their resignations include Pallam Raju, Kavuri Sambasivarao and K Chiranjeevi.

On Friday, the office staff of two other ministers, D Purandeswari and K Kriparani, are learnt to have informed the media the two had faxed their resignations. Another minister, K Suryaprakash Reddy, reportedly met the Prime Minister in the evening and gave his resignation.

State ministers and Congress members of the legislative Assembly from Seemandhra have desisted from making any drastic collective decision. Ganta Srinivasa Rao, a minister from Seemandhra who had been pressing for mass resignations, said the chief minister had asked them to stay put in order to defeat the resolution on bifurcation in the state Assembly.

Meanwhile, YSR Congress Party president Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy has decided to go on an indefinite hunger strike from Saturday in front of his party headquarters here, in protest against the Union Cabinet's decision.

A party delegation would also go to Delhi to garner support for his agitation.

“The Centre has hoodwinked all good democratic practices and has gone ahead with its agenda of dividing the state for the sake of a few votes and seats; it has taken the people for granted,” Reddy said.

Telugu Desam Party president Chandrababu Naidu also decided to launch an indefinite hunger strike in Delhi from Monday to “expose how the Congress had decided to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh for political gain.” Naidu said he would also write letters to all the political parties exposing the Congress conspiracy in dividing the state.

“Is the AP state a private limited company of Sonia Gandhi?” he asked.