CPI stages state-wide protest over Telangana statehood issue

Hyderabad, Jan 25 (ANI): Demanding the introduction of a Bill for the creation of Telangana in the budget session of Parliament, activists of the Communist Party of India has picketed the Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy district Collectorates.

Raising slogans against the Centre for "resorting to delaying tactics" after the submission of the Justice B N Srikrishna Committee report, the agitators demanded the bifurcation of the State into Telangana and Seemandhra as per existing boundaries with Hyderabad as the capital of Telangana, based on the 5th option given by the panel.

The activists, under the leadership of Rajya Sabha MP Aziz Pasha, staged a demonstration.

Pasha said that the demonstration was aimed to put pressure on the ruling party.

"Today, throughout the state, in all 23 districts in front of the office of the Magistrate, we are demonstrating strikes and protests. For four demands, No. 1 is in the ensuing budget session, the ruling party has to present separate bill for separate Telangana because they are telling it since long, but now the time has come they have to take a stand" said Pasha.

He also added that the recent verdict of the Birjesh Kumar Tirbunal was unfair for the people of Andhra Pradesh and it may affect the farmers.

Several protests and shutdowns had brought Andhra Pradesh to a near halt last year as pro-Telangana activists pressed their demand for a separate state.

A concerned Central government appointed a commission headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Srikrishna in March last year to look into issue of the separate statehood.

The report, recently submitted to Home Minister P. Chidambaram has suggested at least six options including maintaining status quo in the state or bifurcating the state. (ANI)