|
Andhra leaders on Saturday said they are
ready for bifurcation of the state, but Hyderabad should be made a Union
Territory.
With the demand for a separate state of Telangana by the Telangana Rastra Samiti
(TRS) and other political parties and organisations growing, leaders of the
coastal region have intensified their efforts to safeguard the interests of the
people of coastal Andhra.
Leaders of the Andhra Intellectual Forum have made it clear that any decision on
the Telangana issue should be taken only after discussions with Andhra leaders
since their interests have to be protected by the Union and state governments.
“Several districts of other regions such as Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Prakasam
and Anantapur are also backward compared to Telangana areas. So, the problems of
the Andhra region cannot be ignored when the state is divided into two parts,”
said Mr C. Srinivas of the Andhra Intellectual Forum.
“The issue of the state’s capital should also be resolved since no new state was
formed with existing capitals. Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand have
become separate states with new capital cities,” he added.
Political leaders have also expressed concern over the attack on the properties
of people of the Andhra region. They said they will demand a separate Andhra
state to enable the region to achieve self-reliance.
Meanwhile, the Praja Rajyam senior leader, Mr Harirama Jogaiah, resigned from
the party and vowed to participate in movement for a separate Andhra.
He said he had resigned from the Praja Rajyam as it had extended support to the
Telangana movement. The Andhra Pradesh Cooperative Bank chairman and former
minister, Mr Vasanta Nageswara Rao, welcomed the decision of Mr Jogaiah and said
he would mobilise the support of all the leaders cutting across party lines.
|
