Protests wane in Andhra Pradesh

A semblance of normalcy returned to the coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions which saw widespread protests against the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.

Several leaders, including Congress MP Lagadapati Rajagopal and Telugu Desam Party legislator Paritala Sunita in Anantapur as well as students of Andhra University in Visakhapatnam,  have called off their “indefinite” hunger- strikes.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister K Rosaiah has appealed to the people to observe restraint and maintain peace since the issue was under the consideration of the Centre. He said problems should be solved through discussions and not through violence.
“People for and against the bifurcation of  the State have put forward their point of view before the Government of India. Now, it is time for them to wait and maintain peace,” he said.

The chief minister urged people not to get emotional over the issue and clarified that bifurcation of the state “is not under the purview of the State Government.”

Telangana Rashtra Samiti chief K Chandrashekhar Rao, meanwhile, warned that the region “will explode” if the Centre backtracked on its commitment to grant statehood to Telangana. “We will not give up our demand, come what may,” he said here on Tuesday.

In a message meant for the Centre, he said nobody should test the people of Telangana who have been demanding statehood for 50 years now. "We can also bring normal life to a halt," he said referring to the last 10 days' agitations across the other two regions against statehood to Telangana.

Warning of a constitutional crisis, Rao said 100 MLAs of Telangana were ready with their resignation letters if the Centre went back on its commitment.