APNGOs call for 'chalo Hyderabad' on Jan 22

APNGOs Association, a body of government employees from Seemandhra, Tuesday called for a "chalo Hyderabad" agitation and plans to lay siege to Andhra Pradesh assembly Jan 22 to oppose the state's bifurcation.

Andhra Pradesh Non-Gazetted Officers' (APNGOs) Association president P. Ashok Babu has asked every household in Seemandhra (Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra) to send a member for the march to Hyderabad.

As the assembly will be concluding its debate on Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill 2013 and send it back to President Pranab Mukherjee with its opinion on Jan 23, APNGOs has called for laying siege to the building on Jan 22 to demand that the bill be defeated.

Ashok Babu said all 159 members of assembly from Seemandhra should vote against the bill. He also appealed to all political parties from Seemandhra to participate in "chalo Hyderabad" and laying of siege to the assembly to oppose formation of separate Telangana state.

"We want to demonstrate how strong is the public sentiment for keeping the state united. Our protest is not against any region," he said.

Ashok Babu said if necessary they would hold a march to parliament to stall the state's bifurcation.

The APNGOs Association withdrew the two-day Seemandhra shutdown call given by it earlier on Jan 17 and 18.

APNGOs had held a public meeting in Hyderabad in September to protest the central government's decision to carve out separate Telangana state.

Over four lakh government employees and teachers in Seemandhra participated in 66-day long strike to demand the central government keep the state united.