Kiran Kumar Reddy 'main culprit' for agitation in Seemandhra: TRS

Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) President K.T. Rama Rao on Tuesday blamed Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy for the electricity crisis in the state, which has halted railways, as a result of intensifying anti-Telangana agitation.

"It's a government sponsored agitation that is going on in Seemandhra as has been told by Dinesh Reddy (former police officer) himself today. The Chief Minister himself is behind the APNGO movement. So, if anybody has to be blamed for the power crisis in the state today, it is none but the Chief Minister himself; he is the main culprit," Rao in Hyderabad.

Meanwhile, Railway Minister, Mallikarjun Kharge, told the electricity board to resume operations and added that some trains have been taken off tracks in the daytime, in order to deal with the crisis.

"Most of the Andhra electricity board employees are on strike. Because of that we are not able to run our trains on electrification. We are trying to run some of the trains with the help of diesel engines. And as far as goods trains are concerned, we are trying to take them in the night," Kharge in New Delhi.

The employees of the Electricity Department in the area stalled work on Monday, plunging large parts of the region into darkness and halting the railways in the region.

The Union Cabinet's announcement of the creation of Telangana has triggered protests across the country, including political leaders going on indefinite hunger strikes across the country.

YSR Congress Party chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy's indefinite hunger strike against the creation of a separate Telangana state entered the fourth day today in Hyderabad.

Telugu Desam Party ( TDP) chief N. Chandrababu Naidu entered his second day of fasting in the national capital today, in protest for a united Andhra Pradesh.

Meanwhile, attempting to mount pressure on the central leadership, four Union Ministers from Seemandhra region met Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh in the national capital yesterday and requested him to accept their resignations over Telangana creation.

Union Tourism Minister K. Chiranjeevi, Union Human Resource and Development (HRD) Minister M.M. Pallam Raju, Minister of State for Commerce D. Purandeswari and Minister of State for Railways Surya Prakash Reddy met Dr. Singh and pressed for acceptance of their resignations.

"We, in detail, gave him (Prime Minister) a clear picture of the ground situation in Andhra (Pradesh). And, we have requested him to kindly accept our resignations, and we also told him that the people of Andhra Pradesh did expect the Antony Committee to come to the state of Andhra Pradesh but since the Antony Committee has not come, now the people are losing confidence that justice would be done to them," said Purandeswari.

The Prime Minister told them that he will look into their request.

The Union Cabinet, which will meet here today, is likely to discuss the Telangana issue.

On October 3, the Union Cabinet had decided to go ahead with the process for the creation of a separate Telangana state carved out from Andhra Pradesh.