HYDERABAD: In a novel protest against the government for not carving out separate Telangana state, Nava Telangana Party (NTP) president and former home minister T Devendar Goud on Sunday declared `formation of separate Telangana state’ today.
``Now we formed a separate Telangana state and we are starting self-rule in the new State,’’ he declared and even unveiled the `emblem of the Telangana state government, announced that Palapitta (blue jay bird) would be the `state bird’ and released it into the air in a symbolic declaration.
Goud, along with his party activists, tried to replace the name board of AP Secretariat as `Telangana Secretariat’. When Goud and 330 others were proceeding towards the Secretariat, police took them into preventive custody. They were later let off on personal bail. As planned earlier, the NTP `proclaimed a separate state’ and began `self-rule’ in the region at a `maha dharna’ organised near Indira Park today. Konda Lakshman Bapuji hoisted the national flag at the dharna site.
Goud said he was inspired by the Freedom Movement in declaring the new state and starting self-rule in the region.
‘‘We did it to create awareness in people,’’ he explained and appealed to Telangana people to alter their vehicle’s registration number plates by deleting the words ‘AP’.
Saying that the NTP had plans to intensify the Telangana movement with innovative programmes across the region, he appealed to people, political parties and other organisations to take part in the programmes.
He said Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy was the main hindrance to formation of Telangana. E Peddi Reddy and others were present.