Telangana fallout: Seemandhra on the boil, disquiet in Congress

Hyderabad: The Centre's approval for creation of Telangana set off intensified protests in Seemandhra region of Andhra Pradesh today even as a state minister resigned, bringing to the fore disquiet in the Congress. The 13 districts in coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions of the state, already witnessing protests for over two months, descended into chaos with supporters of united Andhra Pradesh taking to the streets against the Centre's move, blocking highways and railway tracks and forcing closure of shops, business establishments as well as educational institutions. In Delhi, the BJP described the situation as civil war. Party leader Yashwant Sinha said public sentiments were not taken into consideration and blamed the UPA for mishandling the situation. All shops and establishments remained closed and roads wore a deserted look in major cities like Vijayawada, Guntur, Rajahamundry, Vizag, Anantapur and Tirupati. Agitators burnt tyres at various junctions. Tension was palpable in Tirupati where agitators came out in large numbers to protest the division of the state. Sporadic violence was reported from various places. The 48-hour shutdown called by Andhra Pradesh Non-Gazetted Officers Association and other pro-united Andhra outfits to protest the Centre's decision saw sporadic incidents of violence, including attacks on Congress party offices, as normal life was thrown out of gear. YSR Congress leader Y S Jaganmohan Reddy has given a separate call for a 72-hour shutdown. Amid the mounting protests, Andhra Pradesh Law Minister Erasu Pratap Reddy resigned from his post and relinquished primary membership of Congress. Hours before a meeting of ministers, MPs and legislators of Seemandhra region called by Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy to discuss the situation in the aftermath of the Centre's decision, Erasu called on Governor ESL Narasimhan this afternoon and put in his papers. Erasu was among a dozen ministers who had submitted their resignations to the Chief Minister following July 30 decision of Congress Working Committee giving the go ahead for splitting the state. His resignation had not been accepted. \"The Congress' decision to bifurcate AP is against democracy. The Congress will be totally wiped out in Seemandhra,\" Erasu told reporters after meeting the Governor. Last week, Animal Husbandry Minister P Viswarupu had quit his post as well as the Congress party over the proposed bifurcation of the state. His resignation was accepted by the Governor on the advice of the Chief Minister. Meanwhile, YSR Congress chief Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, whose release from jail a few days ago is expected to provide added political muscle to the anti-Telangana movement, has announced he would undertake an indefinite fast from tomorrow against the Centre's decision to divide Andhra Pradesh. A delegation of YSR Congress Party would call on the President and others to highlight \"injustice\" being meted out to Seemandhra region, Jaganmohan, whose movement had been restricted by the order of a court which granted him bail in a disproportionate assets case, said. He criticised the Centre for doing away with the practice of bringing a resolution for creation of Telangana in the state assembly for passage before deciding to bifurcate the state. Protests fuelled by the Centre's decision on Telangana have engulfed large parts of Seemandhra region with thousands of state-run buses off the roads. The bandh was peaceful in Vijayawada and adjoining regions. In Eluru, all bus services came to a standstill from early in the morning. In Anantapur, the bandh was total. Minor skirmishes were reported from various places as agitators stopped private vehicles and smashed windshields and deflated tyres. The port city of Vizag also was completely shut down. The vital Chennai-Kolkata National Highway was blocked by protesters at Elamanchili in Visakhapatnam district where vehicles were stranded in a stretch of four kilometres. The agitators, who attacked Congress offices in some places, directed their anger at state party chief Botsa Satyanarayana at Vizinagaram near Visakhapatnam when they tried to storm his residence. The residences of ruling Congress MPs from the two regions were under siege from furious anti-Telangana protesters. Police have been put on high alert and director general of police B. Prasada Rao held a video conference with all the regional IGs and district police officials. He said additional forces would be deployed if the situation warranted it but cautioned police to respond with restraint. Police burst teargas shells and used batons to chase away the protesters who mostly comprised students and state government employees. The crowd clashed with the police and damaged their vehicles.