Andhra Speaker accepts resignation of 10 TRS MLAs

Hyderabad, Feb 15 (ANI): Andhra Pradesh Assembly Speaker N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Monday accepted the resignation of 10 Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) MLAs, who had quit in protest against the seven-point terms of reference announced by the Centre to look into the Telangana statehood issue.

This takes the total number of resignations to 12, as the Speaker had earlier accepted the resignation of a Telegu Desam Party (TDP) and a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA.

On Sunday, around fifteen MLAs from Telangana region submitted their resignation protesting against the terms of reference issued by the Union Home Ministry.

The move follows the renewed call of the all-party Telangana Joint Action Committee (JAC) to legislators from the region to submit their resignation, rejecting the terms of reference.

The Telangana Students Joint Action Committee had called for a shutdown in the Telangana region on Saturday in protest against the seven-point terms of reference announced by the Centre.

The seven-point terms of reference announced by the Centre has mandated the committee to "examine the situation in Andhra Pradesh with reference to the demand for a separate state of Telangana as well as demand for maintaining the presents status of a united Andhra".

The five-member committee, headed by Retired Justice B N Srikrishna, has been asked to submit a report on the issue by December 31. (ANI)