Jagan calls for united fight to stall Andhra's division

YSR Congress party chief Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy Saturday called for a united fight by all political parties to stall division of Andhra Pradesh and said he is ready to be the first signatory to a letter to the central government in this regard.

In his first public statement after his release from jail this week and his maiden reaction to Congress party's decision to carve out separate Telangana state, he said the central government should keep the state united if it is unable to do justice to all the regions.

Jagan, as the MP from Kadapa is popularly known, claimed that 60 percent of the state's population was on streets to protest the injustice.

He accused Congress of dividing the state for votes and seats and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) of keeping quiet due to fear of losing votes and seats. He challenged TDP to take back its letter sent to the central government, backing the demand for Telangana state.

He said the MPs and state legislators of the two parties were either refusing to resign or submitting their resignations for namesake. "If we fail to rise to the occasion and fight this conspiracy unitedly, history will not forgive us," he said.

Jagan, who was released on bail Tuesday after 16 months in jail in a disproportionate assets case, was addressing lawyers from Seemandhra (Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra) who called on him at his residence here Saturday evening.

The young leader suggested that presidents of all parties send a joint a letter through Samaikyandhra Joint Action Committee to the central government to demand it to keep the state united. "I am ready to put the first signature on the letter," he said.

The son of late chief minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy said the state's division would lead to many problems including the severe problem of river water sharing.

"Every student after his education looks to Hyderabad for a job. What will happen to him. Fifty percent of state's revenues come from Hyderabad. Without this we will not be able to pay even salaries to government employees," he said.