TRS to launch non-cooperation agitation over Telangana issue

Hyderabad, Feb 4 (PTI) TRS today announced that itwill launch a non-cooperation agitation from next week todemand steps from the Centre for immediate formation of aseparate Telangana state.

"The non-cooperation movement would be started fromthe second week of February. All government employees inTelangana are going to participate. Buses, trains, offices,courts, colleges and others are not to going to function. Itwill be a peaceful, but god only knows how long it willcontinue," TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao said here.

He was addressing a meeting after two retired IASofficers and a TDP leader joined the regional party, which isspearheading the Telangana movement.

Rao said the Telangana government employees have vowedto start the non-cooperation from February 17.

Mounting pressure on the Telangana Congress MLAs andMPs, the former Union minister claimed that statehood for theregion would become a reality if they quit their posts.

"On December 9, 2009, Centre announced that Telanganawould be formed. Within a few hours, all leaders fromCongress, TDP, Praja Rajyam joined hands and submittedresignations en masse (to protest the decision). This led tothe Centre go back on its statement. Why cannot TelanganaCongress and TDP leaders come together," he asked.

The Telangana leaders from ruling Congress and mainOpposition TDP neither raise their voice on public issues norcome forward to submit their resignations for achievingseparate state, the TRS chief claimed.

"Lack of unity of Telangana leaders is our curse. Ifthe leaders don''t unite, the people should. If the people areunited and question the leaders, where do they go," Rao asked.

He appreciated the retired IAS officers A K Goel andRamlakshman who joined the TRS.

Earlier in the day, Rao, along with his familymembers, and party members watched ''Jai Bolo Telangana'', afeature film on separate Telangana agitation, at a citytheatre.

Lauding that the film rightly represented the separatestatehood agitation, he appealed to the Telangana people towatch it.

During his speech at the party office, the TRS leadersaid the people of coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions alsoappreciated the film.

Supporters of united Andhra Pradesh held sporadicprotests against the film at places like Kurnool.