HYDERABAD: For the first time, State Formation Day celebrations will be held under tight police vigil on Monday due to the growing chorus of opposition from pro-Telangana outfits and parties to the annual event in general and participation of ministers from the region in the same in particular.
Terming the AP Formation Day as Vidroha Dinam (Betrayal Day), the Telangana outfits, including the Telangana Students Joint Action Committee (TSJAC), have threatened to disrupt official functions and called upon ministers from the region not to take part in them.
The Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) and the Telangana Joint Action Committee (Political) have given a call to the people to hoist black flags atop their houses as a mark of protest and have also decided to stage protests at the venues of all official celebrations.
Against this backdrop, the police have thrown a security blanket across the Telangana region and particularly in the City where Chief Minister K Rosaiah is due to attend the main function at the NTR Stadium.
Congress divided
The Congress is divided on the AP Formation Day celebrations in the state.
The APCC does not celebrate the day at the party headquarters but the party committee celebrated September 17 which was the day erstwhile Hyderabad State merged with the Indian Union.
The chief minister gave freedom to his ministers on participation in the celebrations.
Ministers from Coastal and Rayalaseema regions have decided to to take part in the formation day celebrations.
A section of Telangana ministers have not yet made up their mind.
While minister Ponnala Laxmaiah reserved his decision, ministers Komati Reddy Venkata Reddy and Sunita Laxma Reddy have decided to take part in the programmes. Reddy has even sounded a warning to those who try to disrupt the prorammes he is going to attend. Seemandhra minister P Ramachandra Reddy said since they were ministers in the Samykandhra, they would have to participate in the celebrations. He also said all ministers would obey the Congress high command’s decision on the Srikrishna Committee report.
Meanwhile, Congress MPs, MLAs, MLCs of Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema region have decided to take part in the state formation day celebrations.
Vijayawada MP Lagadapati Rajagopal said abstaining from the celebrations meant insulting great leaders like Potti Sriramulu who sacrificed his life for AP state formation.In Telangana, respecting the Congress Action Committee for Telangana (CAFT) resolutions all the 12 Lok Sabha members and some Rajya Sabha members have decided not to take part in the formation day celebrations.
No policy decision by TDP
The Telugu Desam Party leadership has not taken any policy decision on state formation day celebrations. Party Seemandhra leaders have decided to take part in the celebrations. TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu will address a meeting in connection with the celebrations.
The TDP Telangana Forum has decided not to take part in the celebrations.
TPF to stage dharna
Balladeer Gadar’s Telangana Praja Front has also raised its voice against the Formation Day celebrations. It will stage a dharna at the Sundarayya Vigyana Kendram, Baghlingampally.
What top leaders will be doing today
K Rosaiah , Chief minister will take part in the AP formation Day celebrations. Reacting to the call for boycott of the celebrations, he said: “I am not finding fault with the political parties that are seeking bifurcation of the state. They are, in fact, justified in making the demand. But the celebrations are being held tomorrow in united Andhra Pradesh. The state government is organising the celebrations. Ever since formation of the state in 1956, the state government has been conducting the celebrations.
“The parties seeking bifurcation of the state should agitate for fulfillment of their demand in a democratic way. They should understand that the Centre had appointed the Srikrishna Committee. It will give its report and then the Centre will take an appropriate decision. As responsible citizens we should abide by the Centre’s decision.
This is not an issue that could be settled in streets. In the past too, when bifurcation of a state was done, it was done by the Centre. Let us celebrate the occasion in a dignified way.”
N Chandrababu Naidu , TDP chief will take part in state formation day celebrations at party headquarters.
K Chandrasekhar Rao , TRS chief will take part in programmes of the party and the Telangana Political JAC. The party will observe ‘Vidrohadinam’.
Mukesh Goud , BC welfare minister said: “We will not agree for union territory status for Hyderabad. We want a separate Hyderabad state.”
D Nagender , Medical and health minister said: “Union territory status for Hyderabad will lead to several complications, we will not agree for it.
D Srinivas , PCC president will leave for Delhi this afternoon to take part in the AICC meeting and avoid any controversy on the state formation day issue.
K Chiranjeevi , PRP chief is not sure whether to take part in the programme.
G Kishan Reddy , BJP state president will not take part either in the AP formation Day celebrations or betyral day protests.
K Narayana , CPI state secretary who is touring Guntur district will not take part in the AP Formation Day celebrations.
BV Raghavulu , CPM state secretary will not take part in the formation day celebrations. The party has not been celebrating the day from the beginning but it is committed to linguistic states.
Jayaprakash Narayan , Lok Satta Party (LSP) chief decided to take part in the AP Formation Day celebrations.