Telangana agitation hurts Andhra pride; vandalize 11 statues

Hyderabad, Mar 11: The Telangana agitation seem to be boiling over and was not as peaceful as promised by the Telangana Joint Action committee (TJAC), who is behind organising the large scale Million March in Hyderabad. After some incidents of violence was reported, the Telangana supporters took the streets and took to vandalising landmark statues and others symbols of Andhra pride.

A political commentator was quoted as saying, “This action represents the assertion of the people of Telangana that their culture is not the same as that of Andhra and that they don't care for Andhra." The action has not gone down well with those supporting a United Andhra, especially since the statues were installed during the regime of N T Rama Rao, Former AP Chief Minister more than 25 years ago.

They damaged 11 statues of Andhra icons including those of Krishnadeva Raya, the Emperor of Vijaya nagara and flung it to the Hussain Sagar Lake, part of the landmark Tank Bund. Others statues included those of Telugu poets Yerrapragada, Sri Sri, Gurram Jashuva, Annamayya and Vemana and social reformer Kandukuri Veeresalingam From what can be seen as a all-out war for those for and against the separate state proposal.

Other statues under the smashing spree was that of Sir Arthur Cotton, the British engineer who with his progressive thinking brought irrigation and prosperity to AP.

The police arrested 48 people for vandalizing the statues, as revealed by the Deputy Commissioner of Police Akun Sabharwal. The protestors who went on a rampage in the Tank Bund area where they had planned to gather also caused damage to police vans, buildings and looted ATM's. They also set fire to a police jeep with police personnel only becoming mute spectators in the whole melee.

The angry mob also manhandled Congress MPs K Keshava Rao and Madhu Yashki. Media personnel reporting the incident was also manhandled and their OB vans destroyed as well.

The mass vandalizing of the statues can only be seen as a vain attempt to fire the sentiments of the protestors and to incite the anti-Telangana supporters.

OneIndia News