Hyderabad: With protests continuing in the Rayalaseema and Andhra regions for the fifth day, Andhra Pradesh state Congress chief Botsa Satyanarayana yesterday said he would urge the party’s central leadership to reconsider its decision to divide the state.
Talking to reporters here, he said there was a need to look into issues like irrigation and employment opportunities.
At a meeting with Satyanarayana and Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Saturday night, leaders from Seemandhra (Rayalaseema and Andhra) urged them to either convince the Congress Working Committee (CWC) to withdraw its resolution on the state’s division or resign.
Over 80 leaders, including state ministers and state legislators, attended the meeting. They include five ministers and several legislators who have already announced their resignation.
Meanwhile, protests and a shutdown continued in Seemandhra for the fifth consecutive day.
People from all walks of life took to streets to demand that the central government withdraw its decision to carve out a Telangana state.
Students, workers, lawyers and political activists took out rallies, formed human chains, staged sit-ins and blocked roads in various towns.
At some places, the protesters cooked and ate food, played games and organised cultural programmes on roads.
Buses of state-owned Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation remained off the roads for the fifth day.
A youth attempted self-immolation in Anantapur district. He was admitted to a hospital.
Municipal employees in Vijayawada launched a 72-hour strike.
In Visakhapatnam, police forcibly shifted some students of Andhra University to a hospital as they had been on a hunger strike for the past five days.
Rajya Sabha member N Harikrishna announced his resignation to protest the state’s division. The Telugu Desam Party leader told reporters that he had sent his resignation to the Rajya Sabha chairman.
IANS
