Rayalaseema Parirakshana Samiti president Byreddy Rajasekhar Reddy has called upon people to banish elected representatives of the region who were not committed to the development of the region.
Byreddy launched Rayalaseema Atma Gourava padayatra from Kethavaram in Orvakal mandal on Tuesday demanding separate statehood to the region.
He said he was ready to sacrifice his life for the cause.
The yatra, Byreddy said, will cover 1,000 km in 40 days.
It will pass through all the four districts in the region and end in Anantapur district headquarters on November 10.
The Rayalaseema leader said that he had chosen Kethavaram to launch the yatra for its historical significance.
“Stone edicts having the first script of early man’s language were found here,” he said.
He claimed that there was a good response from the people to his yatra.
“We are trying to motivate people to fight for justice to Rayalaseema, the most backward region in the state,” he said, soon adding that: “It can be achieved only in separate Rayalaseema state.
” On the first day, the yatra covered 25 km -- starting from Ketavaram it proceeded to Gargeyapuram village in Kurnool mandal and then to Bollavaram in Nandikotkur mandal.
Byreddy and his followers made a night halt at Bollavaram on Tuesday night.
Throughout the yatra, people of all ages were found raising slogans like ‘Jai Rayalaseema .
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Jai Jai Rayalaseema’, ‘We want Rayalaseema… Byreddy Nayakatvam Vardhillaali’.
Village women gave ‘harathi’ to Byreddy when he offered prayers at local temples.
Expressing solidarity with Byreddy, BJP district president S Nagaraju Yadav, vice-president N Sreenivasulu, presidents of NGOs took part in the yatra.
Rayalaseema Parirakhsna Samiti JAC official spokesperson Prof Bhuman, chief co-ordinator T Vijayaraj, ex- MLC Venkata Sivareddy, Rayalaseema Rashtra Samiti chief K Venkata Subbareddy, ex-TDP district secretary Mohd Hussain and others also participated.