United AP stir gains momentum

By SNV Sudhir

Visakhapatnam, July 9, 2013: Agitation demanding status quo in the state has gained momentum. Samaikyandhra JAC activists are mounting pressure on public representatives to quit their posts for the cause of united AP.

On Monday, students of Andhra University laid siege to the residence of a Congress MLA and burnt effigies of public representatives from Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra regions for their inability to rein in their Telangana counterparts. They wanted the leaders in Seemandhra to join them in the agitation.

They raised slogans against Telangana protagonists and also demanded that the Centre announce a decision in favour of united Andhra Pradesh by July 12. Else, they threatened to launch an indefinite hunger strike.

“How can Seemandhra leaders sit quiet when Telangana leaders are claiming that a favourable decision on bifurcation of the state would be out soon,” Samaikyandhra University students JAC convenor Lagudu Govind asked and urged the leaders to join them in the agitation.

Another group of Samaikyandhra activists sent a legal notice to the Election Commission of India asking it to postpone the panchayat polls, scheduled later in the month, in the wake of reports and utterances by the leaders from Congress high command that an announcement on Telangana will be out on July 12.

Areti Mahesh, who sent the legal notice, opined that the model code of conduct has come into force and such announcements may influence the voters. This is in violation of the poll code, he said.

In another programme organised by Samaikyandhra students JAC, representatives from Andhra University Teachers Association, Vizagapatam Chamber of Commerce and industry, various NGOs and voluntary organisations participated and vowed to launch an agitation for the cause of united Andhra Pradesh.