Parties play blame game as employees mount pressure against bifurcation

Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu, however, chose to focus on national issues while accusing the UPA government of mishandling the economy

In a demonstration of complete disunity, political parties have stepped up accusations against one another for the situation leading to imminent bifurcation of state.

The situation was quite different in December 2009 when leaders of all the political parties from the Seemandhra region came together to announce mass resignations to their public positions against a similar statement made in favour of separate statehood for Telangana by the Centre.

On Tuesday, Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Botcha Satyanarayana rebutted the political attack launched by the YSR Congress party's honorary president Vijayamma. He said the Congress leadership had decided in favour of separate statehood for Telangana only after every opposition party, including YSR Congress, endorsed the idea.

Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu, however, chose to focus on national issues while accusing the UPA government of mishandling the economy and held it responsible for the sufferings of people at large. Naidu blamed the ruling party for fueling the anger and resentment among the people of the Seemandhra region against bifurcation through its haphazard actions, though he earlier supported the CWC decision in this regard.

Pressured by the protests of organised sections such as government employees, students and political activists in Seemandhra, central ministers and MPs from the region have hardened their stand especially with regard to the status of Hyderabad post division. Their meeting with the Antony committee and chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy's visit to Delhi on Tuesday is seen as yet another round of effort to stall the bifurcation move.

Leaders of Seemandhra employee associations have been demanding the resignations of the MPs and ministers from their region to stop the bifurcation. They raised slogans against the proposed move to make Hyderabad as the capital of Telangana state.

Meanwhile, Seemandhra employees, who are in overwhelming majority in the state secretariat, today declared they too would join the indefinite strike launched by their colleagues in coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema districts, from September 2. They are currently holding lunch hour demonstrations and pen-down protests for the past one week.

The leaders are hopeful that some bargain on protecting the rights and interests of the Seemandhra people living in Hyderabad could cool the emotions in their region. Though these leaders have made a fresh attempt to seek the union territory status for Hyderabad post division, the party leadership as well as the public representatives of the city, including the Majlis party, are opposed to such an arrangement.

Media reports suggested that the Centre may declare strong safeguards including the handling of law and order directly to remove the fears of Seemandhra people living in Hyderabad.