Faced with stiff opposition from pro-Telangana forces, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy cancelled his programme at Sangareddy in Medak district scheduled for Wednesday.
With the Deputy Chief Minister Damodara Rajanarasimha and other pro-Telangana forces saying that the CM is "not welcome" to tour their region, the Chief Minister was forced to cancel his programme as part of his pet mass contact initiative to review welfare schemes of the state government.
Pro-Telangana forces have branded the Chief Minister an "integrationist" and said that he has no right to tour the Telangana region.
Besides, ministers J Geeta Reddy and V Sunitha Laxma Reddy, hailing from Medak district, met the Chief Minister and reportedly requested him to put off his visit in view of the "hostile" situation expected.
They also said that since Congress leaders from Telangana would attend a "thanks giving meet" in Adilabad tomorrow to celebrate announcement of a separate Telangana state, they would not be available for the AP CM's visit.
After this development, the CM decided to cancel his programme, sources in the Chief Minister's Office said.
The Sangareddy mass contact initiative was organised by local MLA and government whip T Jayaprakash Reddy, though the Telangana Tashtra Samiti (TRS) had openly threatened to thwart the programme.
Deputy CM Rajanarasimha, who also hails from Medak, asked all Congress leaders, including MP Suresh Shetkar, to boycott the AP Chief Minister's programme.