Hyderabad: Even as the indefinite strike for separate state of Telangana continued on the 16th day yesterday, Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) president K. Chandrashekhar Rao created a stir by claiming that the central government was mulling the idea of forming a new state by merging Telangana and parts of Rayala Seema.
Rao, however, shot down the suggestion in the same breath. "We want the same Telangana state back which you had merged with Andhra in 1956," he said.
Addressing a meeting of Telangana non-teaching employees in Hyderabad, Rao rejected the question of any compromise on Hyderabad as the capital of Telangana, saying the people of Telangana would continue their fight till they achieved their goal.
He ridiculed the suggestion that the federal government could grant the wish for a Telangana state immediately if he compromised on Hyderabad.
"It is not possible", he said adding that even Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen president Asad Al Deen Owaisi also supported the demand that Hyderabad be made the capital of Telangana.
Rao said that the 56-year struggle for Telangana was on the right track and he will not be surprised if Telangna state becomes a reality in two months.
Rao's assertion came even as the Telangana Congress leaders including several ministers, MPs and members of the state assembly were meeting the All India Congress Committee general-secretary Gulam Nabi Azad in New Delhi to brief him about the ground situation in the region and the impact of the continuing strike.
Traffic disrupted
Meanwhile, intensifying their agitation, Telangana supporters stopped traffic at several places in Hyderabad and nine other districts on the call of the Telangana Joint Action Committee. The road users had a great deal of difficulty as the Telangana agitators formed the human chains on the road to close the roads.
Protests were also intensified in the state secretariat after the police arrested striking public transport drivers who tried to stop other drivers from resuming work. Later the leaders of the employees joint-action committee met the chief secretary S.V. Prasad and demanded the release of the drivers.
Resignation campaign
Thirty-two members of the legislative assembly (MLAs) of the main opposition Telugu Desam Party yesterday submitted their resignation to the deputy speaker of Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly, protesting the delay in the formation of a separate Telangana state.
The MLAs led by Telangana TDP Forum convenor E. Dayakar Rao reached the deputy Speaker's office at around 5-30 pm and submitted their resignations.
This is the second time the TDP MLAs from Telangana region have submitted their resignations to the Speaker. Earlier they had submitted their resignations along with all the 100 MLAs of the region belonging to TRS, Congress, BJP and the CPI. However the Speaker N. Manohar had rejected all the resignations saying they were submitted on emotional grounds.
Rao, however, shot down the suggestion in the same breath. "We want the same Telangana state back which you had merged with Andhra in 1956," he said.
Addressing a meeting of Telangana non-teaching employees in Hyderabad, Rao rejected the question of any compromise on Hyderabad as the capital of Telangana, saying the people of Telangana would continue their fight till they achieved their goal.
He ridiculed the suggestion that the federal government could grant the wish for a Telangana state immediately if he compromised on Hyderabad.
"It is not possible", he said adding that even Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen president Asad Al Deen Owaisi also supported the demand that Hyderabad be made the capital of Telangana.
Rao said that the 56-year struggle for Telangana was on the right track and he will not be surprised if Telangna state becomes a reality in two months.
Rao's assertion came even as the Telangana Congress leaders including several ministers, MPs and members of the state assembly were meeting the All India Congress Committee general-secretary Gulam Nabi Azad in New Delhi to brief him about the ground situation in the region and the impact of the continuing strike.
Traffic disrupted
Meanwhile, intensifying their agitation, Telangana supporters stopped traffic at several places in Hyderabad and nine other districts on the call of the Telangana Joint Action Committee. The road users had a great deal of difficulty as the Telangana agitators formed the human chains on the road to close the roads.
Protests were also intensified in the state secretariat after the police arrested striking public transport drivers who tried to stop other drivers from resuming work. Later the leaders of the employees joint-action committee met the chief secretary S.V. Prasad and demanded the release of the drivers.
Resignation campaign
Thirty-two members of the legislative assembly (MLAs) of the main opposition Telugu Desam Party yesterday submitted their resignation to the deputy speaker of Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly, protesting the delay in the formation of a separate Telangana state.
The MLAs led by Telangana TDP Forum convenor E. Dayakar Rao reached the deputy Speaker's office at around 5-30 pm and submitted their resignations.
This is the second time the TDP MLAs from Telangana region have submitted their resignations to the Speaker. Earlier they had submitted their resignations along with all the 100 MLAs of the region belonging to TRS, Congress, BJP and the CPI. However the Speaker N. Manohar had rejected all the resignations saying they were submitted on emotional grounds.
