Protests rock Seemandhra against state's possible division

With the UPA coordination panel and Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting in Delhi Tuesday to take a final decision on separate statehood to Telangana, coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions of Andhra Pradesh were Monday rocked by protests opposing the state's division.

The protestors including students, activists of political parties, employees and other sections of society laid siege to the houses of central ministers, MPs and state legislators, seeking their resignations for a united Andhra Pradesh.

Various groups took out rallies and organized meetings to demand the central government to drop any move to bifurcate the state.

Protestors surrounded the camp office of central minister K. S. Rao in Eluru town of West Godavari district, demanding that he quit to mount pressure on Congress leadership to keep the state united.

A similar protest was held outside the house of another central minister D. Purandeswari in Visakhapatnam.

Students, employees, workers, teachers, lawyers and political activists took out a massive rally in Anantapur and laid siege to the house of Congress MP Ananta Venkatarami Reddy, demanding his resignation.

Most of the Congress leaders were either in Hyderabad or Delhi to discuss among themselves their strategy in the event of the leadership making an announcement for formation of Telangana state.

Congress MP Sai Pratap's house was also surrounded by the protestors in Kadapa.

In Guntur, protestors laid siege to the house of another MP R. Sambasiva Rao. They regretted that Congress leaders from Seemandhra (Rayalaseema and Andhra regions) failed to put pressure on the leadership not to divide the state.

There was mild tension when protestors laid siege to Congress MP L. Rajagopal's house in Vijayawada. Raising slogans against him, they clashed with police.

Students took out a rally in Srikakulam, opposing statehood to Telangana. Protests were also held in Tirupati, Nellore and other towns.

Congress legislator Veera Shiva Reddy, who announced his resignation from the assembly and the party to lodge his protest, demanded that all central ministers and MPs resign to mount pressure on the leadership.