Students protest in Hyderabad against delay in formation of Telangana

Students of the Osmania University staged a protest here on Saturday against the delay in formation of a separate state of Telangana from the existing state of Andhra Pradesh.

A large number of students took out a motorcycle rally in Hyderabad where they shouted slogans against the ruling Congress Party for the delay in the decision.

The rally was, however, cut short after the police put barricades on the way and the protesters entered into a heated argument with them and in a scuffle, the policemen took some protesters into custody.

Rishank, one of the protesters, said: "Today the Telangana people are making a clear mandate for the entire Congress party that if they want to stay in power for 2014 politics, then we want a clear cut Telangana state with ten districts and Hyderabad as capital. We cannot have the two districts of Rayalseema just because they have made caste based politics to rule the entire state for their voting power."

Meanwhile, Congress leaders from the Seemandhra region met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi over the Telangana issue.

According to reports, Congress leaders from the Seemandhra have threatened to quit the party if the government gives in to the demands of the creation of Telangana.

The factions within the Congress party came more to the fore as pro-Telangana Congress leaders have also exerted pressure on the government on the issue.

"My appeal is to one and all atleast in the Congress ranks. Since last 56-57 years this has been on. We the people of Telangana want natural justice. The natural justice done from the centre like an elder person, everybody should accept it," a pro-Telengana Congress lawmaker Sudhakar Reddy said.

Congress MPs from Telangana have so far accused the Centre of following what they call a 'one-step-forward-two-backward' approach when it comes to addressing their demand for a separate state.

The Centre's flip-flop over the issue began in December 2009 when the then Home Minister P. Chidambaram promised the formation of a new state only to go back on it after a few days.

The issue was later pushed before a committee headed by Justice B.N. Srikrishna. This panel did not come up with a tangible solution, but instead presented six options.

These included the creation of a Telangana Regional Council within Andhra, bifurcation of the state into Telangana with Hyderabad as the capital and Seemandhra with a new capital; bifurcation of the state into Seemandhra and Telangana after making Hyderabad a Union Territory; bifurcation of the state into Seemandhra and Telangana with enlarged Hyderabad metropolis as a Union Territory; bifurcation of the state into Rayala Telangana and Coastal Andhra; and maintenance of status quo.