TDP MLA says human bombs will be used to keep Andhra united

Hyderabad, Jul 21: The Telangana agitation is in simmering mode with chances for the issue to boil over. The statement that is likely to cause the issue to hot up further came from a senior leader of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and legislator Payyavula Kesav when he warned of suicide attacks for a united Andhra or Seemandhra as referred locally. The agitation for a separate state of Telangana is also seeing an upswing in recent times.

This statement from a staunch supporter for a united Andhra irked all pro-Telangana MP's with Congress MP Ponnam Prabhakar declaring as a reply to Kesav that those people who were against the separate formation of a state should be killed rather than engaging in suicides.

Kesav made these explosive comments while addressing a meeting of TDP leaders from Andhra and Rayalaseema regions at a programme at Guntur District, that said, "We are not only ready for suicides, but if required, we will turn human bombs to protect the state from being divided." Telangana leaders were furious with such statements and demanded Kesav's arrest.

The meeting by TDP leaders gave the Centre a week's time to make a statement that it will not divide the state.

With the acidic comments that Kesav made, the former Minister N Janardhan Reddy also sought the arrest of Kesav with immediate effect for making provocative remarks. In the meeting in Guntur, other TDP leaders also upped the ante against the division especially, Kodela Siva Prasad who stated that they were ready to lay down their lives for a United Andhra.

With the agitation reaching its pinnacle, Telangana groups claimed that close to 600 people mostly youth and students have committed suicide for a seperate Telangana state ever since the agitation started in 2009.

Just last week, the Minor Irrigation Minister T.G. Venkatesh, a prominent figure from the Rayalaseema region said that he was planning to set up dalams (armies) for the sake of protecting people from the coastal and Rayalseema regions living in Hyderabad.

OneIndia News