With signals emanating from New Delhi that the Congress might take a decision in favour of a separate Telangana state, Seemandhra leaders are going into an overdrive to throw a spanner in the works even as the Telangana Joint Action Committee (TJAC), which met on Sunday, declared that it would continue to keep up the heat with agitations pressing for bifurcation.
Sensing that the opportune time has arrived, the TJAC has called for deekshas from January 17 to 27 across Telangana and a 36-hour deeksha at Indira Park in Hyderabad from Jan 27 to prevent the Congress from getting any other idea than according statehood.
The agitation will begin with a silent protest - mouna deeksha - at Telangana Martyrs Column at Gun Park in Hyderabad on Jan 17, which will be attended by Telangana activists and intellectuals. “If there is no decision in favour of Telangana, we will build a maha-pratighatana,” TJAC chairman Prof M Kodandaram said.
As the Congress is expected to take a decision on the statehood issue at its Chintan Shivir from Jan 18 to 20 at Jaipur, the Seemandhra Congress leadership too is determined to prevent the party from veering towards a separate state by lobbying in advance.
After Sankranti, the Congress leaders favouring united Andhra Pradesh are planning to go to Delhi, armed with the “secret document” which is in circulation, to exert pressure on the high command not to divide the state.
This decision was taken at an informal meeting between AP Congress Legislators’ Forum convener Sake Sailajanath and others. A leader who attended the meeting said: “We will go to Delhi, because of late, we are receiving different signals.” They decided to take stock of the situation at a wide-ranging meeting either on Tuesday or Wednesday before finalising the argument to be placed before the party high command.