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CM Puts Crop Loss Responsibility on KCR, Kodandaram

Chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Monday said TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao and Telangana JAC convenor M Kodandaram should take the responsibility for any crop loss due to power shortage in the state. Speaking at his camp office, the chief minister said that despite all efforts, the government could not ensure enough coal supplies to the thermal stations as Telangana agitators were not allowing Singareni workers to attend their duties.   Chief minister Kiran Kumar Reddy said the government would not spare anybody if they created problems to farmers and general public in the name of strike. He said that these striking unions are harming the interests of the Telangana region by hampering power production. “Telangana is a political issue and employees have nothing to do with it. Instead of serving people and farmers they are creating more problems for them. More than 70 lakh people were affected badly due to Singareni and RTC strikes," said the chief minister. He vowed to take firm steps to restore normalcy in the state. “With a great effort the RTC was brought out of red. But with this mindless strike, the corporation has plunged into severe losses again,” lamented the chief minister.   However, reacting to the CM’s remarks, Kodandaram alleged that Kiran Kumar Reddy was trying to find excuses to cover up his inefficiency. He rejected the argument that Srisailam would go empty in five days. He invited the CM for an open debate on the issue and said the Sakala Janula Samme did not result in power shortage.    

Telangana Tangle: PM Words Comfort T Cong Leaders

A 11-member delegation, including ministers K Jana Reddy, J Geeta Reddy, D K Aruna, MPs Madhu Yashki, V Hanumanth Rao, K Keshava Rao and G Vivek, and MLC P Sudhakar Reddy, met the Prime Minister Dr. Maanmohan singh on Monday at 12.30 pm. They started telling the PM one by one about their woes pertaining to the separate state demand going on in the state.   Dr. Singh, who was alone, listened patiently but saying nothing. It was Jana Reddy who began to narrate the woes of Congress leaders in Telangana, crushed between the expectations of the people of Telangana and the lack of clarity from the Centre. “Yes, I understand. Yes, I appreciate your feelings. Yes, I agree the demand has existed for long...’’ These were some of the “comforting” words that Telangana ministers, MPs and MLCs got from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during their 40-minute meeting with him on Monday.   Jana Reddy pointed out to the PM that the movement has so far been peaceful but could spin out of control now. He gave statistics of the number of people killed in the separate state agitation in 1969. At this point, the Prime Minister responded: “Yes, Yes. I have been hearing about such a situation.” Geeta Reddy and Aruna chipped in with statements seconding Jana Reddy. Geeta Reddy added that Telangana leaders are unable to face their constituents. When his turn came, Hanumanth Rao said that the Telangana people were only demanding restoration of a state that existed prior to the merger with Andhra and, therefore, the status of Hyderabad could not be the bone of contention.   The Prime Minister pointed out that AICC general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad has given an elaborate report on various issues surrounding the demand for division of Andhra Pradesh and that the core committee of the Congress would examine it in detail. Sudhakar Reddy is understood to have suggested that the Centre could take two steps now -- one immediate and another a long-term one -- to enable the strikers to call of the strike. There was no response to this from the PM.   At this juncture, Kesava Rao butted in to point out that Telangana Congress leaders were first asked to wait till Assembly elections were over in some states and then Azad took his own time to prepare his report. “How many times can we tell people some excuse or the other?” Rao reportedly remarked. To this, the PM responded, “I know it is a long pending demand” and added the rider that the Centre needed to talk to leaders from all other regions too. And, finally, he promised to convey the feelings expressed by the delegation to Sonia Gandhi and other top party leaders. The delegation were then shown out.

Sakala Janula Samme: Protestors Damage Buses

The ongoing Sakala Janula Samme has entered day 21 today - 3 October 2011. The main leaders from TRS, TJAC and T Employees Associations are in Delhi to appraise the Central Leaders about the actual situation going on in Telangana for the past three weeks. Back home, pro-Telangana activists today hurled stones at private buses and damaged at least 10 of these in Nalgonda district after forcibly stopping vehicles moving from coastal Andhra towards Hyderabad, police said. Some activists were injured when police assaulted them with batons at Nakrekal while one police official also sustained critical injuries in stone pelting by the mobs. There were no reports of any injuries to the passengers. Demanding separate statehood to Telangana, activists also destroyed a police vehicle. Earlier, the protestors stopped the buses at three places after they entered Telangana. Hundreds of passengers were stranded as the buses were stopped at the border in view of threats from groups fighting for a separate Telangana state. Over 50 private buses coming to Hyderabad from Vijayawada, about 300 km from here, and other towns in coastal Andhra were stopped by authorities at Garikapadu checkpost on the border between Krishna and Nalgonda districts. Hundreds of passengers had been stranded from 4.30 a.m. as private bus operators alleged that the Nalgonda police had refused to provide them an escort.      

Sakala Janula Samme: T Ministers Called to Delhi For Talks

All Telangana ministers have been asked to rush to Delhi on Monday by Telangana Congress Steering Committee chairman K Jana Reddy.The move is to make common cause with TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao and TJAC chairman Prof M Kodandaram who are in the national capital and on mouna deeksha at Raj Ghat for Telangana. Earlier, Jana Reddy along with another chairman of the steering committee K Keshava Rao met KCR and Kodandaram and they are understood to have discussed ways to bring pressure on the party high command to speed up the process of creation of a Telangana state.   According to Congress sources, Keshava Rao took the initiative of meeting Chandrasekhar Rao who is planning to lead a delegation of 40 TJAC and employees union leaders to the Prime Minister to seek his intervention for an early decision on Telangana statehood issue. The Congress leaders, particularly Keshava Rao, wants to utilise the occasion of Chandrasekhar Rao meeting the Prime Minister to put forth the Telangana demand from their side too. He and Jana Reddy reportedly conveyed to KCR and Kodandaram that all the Telangana Congress leaders were keen that the T state should be formed and that they were ready for any sacrifices, including resigning from their positions. Jana Reddy then called the Telangana ministers to Delhi apparently to take a commitment from them that they would be prepared to make sacrifices, if needed, in their effort to bring pressure on the Congress party. The Congress leaders want the party high command to specify a date for spelling out its stand so that the state government could persuade the TJAC to call of the ongoing general strike in Telangana districts.  

Sakala Janula Samme:Buses Stopped From Entering Telangana

Hundreds of passengers were stranded Monday as buses coming from coastal Andhra towards Hyderabad were stopped at the border of the Telangana region in view of threats from groups fighting for a separate Telangana state. Over 50 private buses coming to Hyderabad from Vijayawada, about 300 km from here, and other towns in coastal Andhra were stopped by authorities at Garikapadu checkpost on the border between Krishna and Nalgonda districts. Hundreds of passengers had been stranded from 4.30 a.m. as private bus operators alleged that the Nalgonda police had refused to provide them an escort.   Police officers, however, said it would be difficult for them to provide escorts to every vehicle, especially during the day when pro-Telangana protestors are likely to stop the buses.Some passengers lodged protests with authorities saying they were being subjected to hardship as they had to reach Hyderabad to attend offices and visit hospitals. The police then allowed the vehicles up to Kodad so the stranded passengers could have breakfast.Police told the passengers that they couldn't take chances by allowing buses to pass through Nalgonda district during the day in view of the threats from protestors. One passenger said he saw some buses returning to Vijayawada from the checkpost. Telangana Joint Action Committee (JAC) chairman M. Kodandaram has already threatened to stop buses operating between coastal Andhra and Hyderabad. With state-owned Road Transport Corporation (RTC) buses off the roads for two weeks due to the strike by employees in Telangana region, private operators are running more buses on the Vijayawada-Hyderabad route. Thousands of people from Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Rajhamundry, Eluru, Guntur and other towns in coastal Andhra travel to Hyderabad each day. Telangana activists last week set on fire private buses and damaged the window panes of some other vehicles during protests on the highway on the outskirts of Hyderabad and also in Nalgonda district.  

Except TRS, Everyone Seems Undecided on Telangana

The Sakala Janula Samme or 'people's general strike' is still going on unabated in Telangana region of A P since it started on 13 September 2011. While the strike demanding carving out a separate Telangana state is being spearheaded by Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and Telangana Political Joint Action Committee (TJAC), the other political parties in the state are still yet to arrive at a consensus for bifurcation of the State. The Congress in State and at the Centre continues to grapple with the contentious issue of carving out Telangana from Andhra Pradesh with consensus eluding the party on splitting the state. Congress president and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Friday (30-09-11) chaired the party's core group meeting that had Telangana on its agenda. This was the first core group meeting she was attending after her coming back from US, where she had been to undergo a surgery for an undisclosed ailment. The party's Andhra Pradesh in-charge and union health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad briefed the core group about the outcome of his talks with Congress legislators, MPs and other senior leaders from all the three regions - Coastal Andhra, Rayalaseema and Telangana - during the past few months to find an acceptable solution to the imbroglio. The broad contours of the Telangana report he had earlier in the day submitted to Sonia Gandhi at her residence were also discussed at the meeting. According to sources, the report contains the details of Azad's consultations with all stake holders and the "pros and cons of different scenarios" that could possibly emerge due to the formation of a separate state of Telangana. The views of those opposing the partition on different grounds also find a mention in the report. Amid mounting pressure for an early decision, the two-hour-long core group meeting ended without any conclusion. "Discussions are on and it will take some time before arriving at a decision. The party leadership will study the report and accordingly formulate a view on the issue," a senior leader said. Prior to the core group meeting, home minister P Chidambaram had said, "Four political parties including the Congress are yet to take a decision on the issue. TDP and MIM are waiting to see what the Congress party's decision will be. The YSR Congress too has not indicated its mind yet."  

Sakala Janula Samme: Hyderabad Bandh Peaceful

The Hyderabad Bandh call given by Telangana political Joint Action Committee (JAC) on day 18 of the ongoing Sakala Janula Samme went on peacefully. There was lukewarm response to the bandh, particularly in areas dominated by Congress and MIM, while it was total in areas where BJP and TRS have a strong presence. Though shops, business establishments, theatres and petrol bunks remained shut in most parts of the city during the first few hours, near normalcy was restored by 4pm. Normal attendance was reported in all private companies as well as in IT firms at Gachibowli and Madhapur. None of the city schools, barring a few, functioned as they are closed for Dasara vacation. There were no signs of bandh in the vicinity of either sides of Musi river. It was another normal day for hotels and small establishments of Old City. Traders said since most of the people were busy with Dasara festivities, there was not much pressure either from the political parties or Telangana activists to enforce the bandh. Brisk business was witnessed in areas around Charminar and Secunderabad as shoppers made the most of the bandh call. Most of the government offices remained shut for the day with employees continuing to stay away from work. The staff strength at secretariat dropped significantly due to lack of public transportation. Nearly 95% of the RTC fleet was confined to their respective depots for the 12th consecutive day. Private carriers, including jeeps and autos fleeced people, while the RTC management ran skeletal services on all major roads with police escort. However, the entire Telangana region remained shut for the 18th day in a row as part of the sakala janula samme.  

Azad Meets Sonia Over Telangana Issue

As the people's general strike or sakala janula samme in Telangana reached day 18 today - 30 September 2011 - the AICC general secretary and state party affairs in-charge Gulam Nabi Azad met the UPA chairperson Mrs. Sonia Gandhi with his report on Telangana issue. Mr. Azad, after having number of discussions with Telangana and Seemandhra Congressmen, has prepared a report that was due for submission to the party president Sonia by end of this month. The Congress core committee will meet at 6 PM today and discuss on the report Azad has submitted. Basing on the outcome of the meeting, an all party meet would be called for to take a final decision on the issue. Replying to a question, when would an all party meeting would be held, Home Minister P Chidambaram said that four political parties in Andhra Pradesh have so far not taken decision on bifurcation issue and Congress is one of them. "TDP and MIM are waiting to see what Congress party's decision will be. The other party the YSR Congress has not indicated its mind either. I think one important stage of the consolation appears to be over today that the report has been submitted. I hope that the parties will make up their mind quickly as I appealed in Parliament to enable me to call an all party meeting," he said.      

KCR, Other Leaders Leaving For Delhi Today

On the day 18 of the Sakala Janula Samme today - 30 September 2011, the TJAC called Hyderabad Bandh is continuing peacefully with no ontoward incidents reported so far. The bandh, though partially affected normal life in the city, has been considered a successful one. As announced earlier, TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao, TJAC convenor M Kodandaram, Employees JAC convenor Swamy Goud amd other employees' leaders are going to Delhi this evening. The group of leaders intend to meet the President Smt. Pratibha Patil, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other concerned central leaders to appraise them of the actual situation going on in Telangana. Speaking to media at Telangana Bhavan, TRS MLA and KCR son Mr. KT Ramarao said that the chief minister Kiran Kumar Reddy is not sending the correct reports to Center about the 18 day old Sakala Janula Samme. Even the state Intelligence Reports are also not giving the picture to their counterparts in Delhi. That's why this group of leaders are going to Delhi to personally present the actual feelings of the people of Telangana.      

Sakala Janula Samme: Day 18 - Hyderabad Bandh

This is the first since Sakala Janula Samme, started on 13 September, that the TJAC has called a shutdown only in Hyderabad. As the strike by various sections of people has already affected normal life in nine other districts, the JAC is focusing on Hyderabad, where a large number of people from Andhra and Rayalaseema regions live. Shops, business establishments and petrol bunks were closed in some parts of the city but remained open in others. Majority of the educational institutions declared a holiday as a precautionary measure. While buses of state-owned Road Transport Corporation (RTC) remained off the roads for the 12th consecutive day, many auto-rickshaws were plying in areas like Nampally, Abids and Secunderabad. Policemen and Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel escorted the buses carrying employees from andhra and rayalaseema regions to the state secretariat. Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief K. Chandrasekhara Rao has appealed to the people to make the shutdown a success. Confident that the separate state would soon become a reality, he assured people that there would be no shutdowns in the near future.          

Azad Report on Telangana: It's Advantage TRS!

As the Sakala Janula Samme enters day 18 today and public life in Telangana region comes to a standstill with APSRTC, Singareni Colleries and all most all employees' associations continuing in strike, now all eyes are on the report prepared by the Andhra Pradesh party affairs in-charge Ghulam Nabi Azad on the separate state issue. Azad has been holding discussions with various stakeholders from the state on the issue for the last two months. He is now conducting final round of discussion with APCC chief Botsa  Satyanarayana and chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy. "I am ready with my report. I promised that the report would be given to the party president (Sonia Gandhi) by the end of this month. Once the report is submitted we will see if we need a larger debate on the issue at the national level," Azad said on late Wednesday. While Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) is quite confident that Azad's report would be in favour of a separate state, it is Congress leaders from Telangana who are most worried about the report. If Azad's report goes in favour of separate Telangana, TRS will claim the entire credit. If it goes against, TRS will certainly put the entire blame on the Congress and it would be very difficult for Congress to face the electorate in 2014. That's the reason KCR is getting boldened day by day and threatening to continue the stir till separate state is achieved.  

KCR Offers to Share Hyderabad With Seemandhra

Speaking at Telangana Bhavan on Thursday - 29 September 2011, the day 17 of the ongoing 'Sakala Janula Samme', Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief K Chandrasekhar Rao said that Telangana state without Hyderabad as its capital is unacceptable, but other proposed states if any, can use it as joint capital till they make their own arrangements. K. Chandrasekhara Rao warned the central government against creating any controversy over the status of Hyderabad city, saying Telangana without Hyderabad would be like a headless body. He said "If any problems are created over Hyderabad, Telangana will boil." He added that no proposal except Telangana state with Hyderabad as its capital was acceptable to them. KCR mooted the idea that rulers of Seemandhra (the other proposed state comprising Rayalaseema and Andhra regions) function from Hyderabad for few years. "They can have a secretariat here. We have two halls in the assembly. They can use one of them and function from for three, four or five years till they develop their own capital," he said. KCR was confident that separate Telangana state would soon become a reality. He said with the movement intensifying due to ongoing "Sakala Janula Samme", the central government had no alternative but to deliver Telangana.

Sakala Janula Samme: 29 September - No Newspapers

As the Sakala Janula Samme enters day 17 today, 29 September 2011, the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad went without newspapers as hawkers joined the ongoing general strike for a separate Telangana state. No newspapers could reach the readers as the hawkers stayed away from distribution of papers. English, Telugu, Urdu and Hindi newspapers were missing from bookshops and newspaper stands across the state capital. Tension prevailed at Secunderabad Clock Tower as police stopped newspaper hawkers from taking out a bike rally to Telangana martyrs' memorial near the state assembly building. Police also arrested Telangana Joint Action Committee (JAC) convenor M Kodandaram who reached Secunderabad Clock Tower to express solidarity with the hawkers. Police also took into custody some protestors who tried to resist their leader's arrest. "This is unjust. You are creating unnecessary problems. Allow me to address them and we will disperse," Kodandaram told police officers. However, police officers said prohibitory orders were in force. They forcibly shifted Kodandaram to a police vehicle and took him to Bowenpally police station. A large number of Telangana supporters rushed to the station and demanded his release. Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief K Chandrasekhara Rao condemned the JAC chief's arrest and demanded his immediate release. Rao warned the government against provoking Telangana people and said it would be responsible for any consequences.      

Sakala Janula Samme: Day 16 - 28 September 2011 - Updates

On day 16 of the ongoing Sakala Janula Samme, TRS and TJAC leaders created some emotionally charged scenes like they did yesterday. They started squarely blamed that the Kiran Kumar government is hatching conspiracy to crush the peaceful Telangana agitation. The agitators led TRS MLA Harish Rao staged 'rasta roko' at Hitech city causing hours of traffic chaos. He alleged that the Kiran Kumar government is conspiring to kill Telangana leaders. As part of its evil designs, an attempt was made on T employees leader Swamy Goud yesterday. The police tried to kill him by pressing his testcles. Later in the day, TJAC convenor flagged off  'Sangheebhavam Yatra' taken up private schools management associations in the city to express solidarity with the agitating Singareni employees.              

Telangana Students Announce 'Andhra go Back' Campaign

The Telangana Vidyarthi Aikya Vedika, a joint action committee for Telangana statehood, announced that people from Andhra region who have settled in Hyderabad will be targeted starting from 6 October. Chanting 'Go Back Andhra" slogans, Osmania University students demanded that the settlers from Andhra region should leave Hyderabad. In support of Telangana Political JAC's call for bandh on September 30, students asked wine shop owners in the city to close down bars and liquor shops indefinitely and warned of dire consequences if they failed to do so. The student leaders said that the Telangana region and Hyderabad would come to a standstill if the Centre continued to remain silent on the statehood issue. Other student associations, including OUJAC and OU-Telangana Students' JAC, also extended their support to the Telangana bandh. In view of the proposed bandh, scores of police personnel have already been stationed around the university campus. Meanwhile, other university student associations in the city, including English and Foreign Languages University (Eflu) and University of Hyderabad (UoH) also announced their agitation plans on Tuesday. While Eflu students declared a two-day campus bandh on Tuesday and Wednesday, UoH announced a Telangana Vidyarthi Garjana on October 29.  

Sakala Janula Samme: Day 16 - 28 September, 2011

The ongoing Sakala Janula Samme that has reached day 16, today, is getting more intensified with dharnas and road blocks all over the Telangana region. Telangana leaders are angry with the chief minister and some Central leaders for commenting that the Telangana agitation lacks intensity. The TJAC is trying to quell these comments by adopting different ways of protests to bring the government to a standstill. Speaking to the media, TJAC convenor M Kodandaram gave a call to the agitators to conduct road blocks and dharnas throughout the region, wherever it is convenient for them.      

Sakala Janula Samme: Day 15 Turns Violent - Updates

The Sakala Janula Samme on its day 15, on Tuesday 27 September 2011, took a turn to mild violence when Vijayawada MP Lagadapati Rajagopal visited RTA office in Hyderabad to meet seemandhra employees working in that office. The news spread immediately to TRS leaders, wherein they came and started protesting against Lagadapati's visit. To avert a major clash, police arrested the Vijayawada MP and also arrested Madhu Yaskhi, Harish Rao, and Telangana employees leader Swami Goud. Harish Rao and other TRS leaders were again arrested by police at the Mint Compound when they went there to show solidarity with Telangana employees. Police baton-charged the protestors. Meanwhile, the 'Sakala Janula Samme' for a separate Telangana state continued for the 15th day Monday. The buses of state-owned Road Transport Corporation (RTC) remained off the roads in Hyderabad and nine other districts of the region for the eighth day. The educational institutions in the region have now remained closed for over two weeks. The strike by government employees has paralysed the administration. It has also affected coal production in state-owned mines and the electricity generation in thermal power stations.                

Sakala Janula Samme Turns Violent With Lagadapati Entry

The Sakala Janula Samme on its day 15, on Tuesday 27 September 2011, took a turn to mild violence when Vijayawada MP Lagadapati Rajagopal visited RTA office in Hyderabad to meet seemandhra employees working in that office. The news spread immediately to TRS leaders, wherein they came and started protesting against Lagadapati's visit. On Monday, the T-activists barged in to RTA office in Khairtabad and even slapped the assistant commissioner for serving notices on those who have been boycotting their duties as part of the all people’s strike. They forced him to withdraw the notices served on them but the chief minister Kirankumar Reddy later nullified the withdrawal. Today, Lagadapati Rajagopal visited the staff and was inquiring about their welfare when the TRS and T congress leaders swooped on the RTA office to have a confrontation with him. The police present there immediately arrested Rajagopal and took him to the Jubilee Hills police station as a precautionary measure. Congress and TRS leaders Mr Madhu Yashki Goud, Harish Rao, Koppula Eswar, Vishnu vardhan reddy, Swami Goud and Srinivas Goud tried to trespass into the RTA office but they were prevented by the police. Madhu Yaskhi and others were also arrested by the police. Meanwhile, congressmen at Vijayawada took out a rally condemning arrest of MP Lagadapati Rajagopal and also called for Vijayawada bandh tomorrow.                            

Sakala Janula Samme: Telangana TDP MLAs Ready to Resign

Speaking at a press meet, the Telangana TDP Forum leader Erraballi Dayakar Rao said that all the TDP MLAs from Telangana region are ready to submit resignations once again in support of a separate Telangana state. But the TRS party is joining hands with T Congress MLAs who are not ready to resign. Mr. Dayakar Rao put a condition for their resignation that leaders of all parties in Telangana should take a vow that they will not participate in any election till separate Telangana is achieved. He also appealed to the Telangana employees to boycott the coming Banswada bypolls.