Samaikya supporters burn copies of T Bill

HYDERABAD: Political leaders, government employees and members of different organisations of the Seemandhra region on Monday burnt copies of the AP Reorganisation Bill in traditional Bhogi bonfire at different places as a mark of protest against division of Andhra Pradesh.

As part of a call given by Samaikyandhra Parirakshana Samithi, leaders of various political parties burnt the copies of the Bill in bonfires set on streets as part of Sankranti celebrations. The burning of the copies of draft Telangana bill is part of a programme of protests called by the APNGOs. A bandh would be organised on January 17 and 18 in the region.

Andhra Pradesh Non-Gazetted Officers (APNGOs) association president P Ashok Babu led the protest at Ongole in Prakasam district. He called upon people of the Seemandhra to defeat the leaders in the coming general elections who were not making efforts to stall the process of bifurcation. 'By burning the Bill copies people showed their opposition to the bifurcation,' Ashok Babu said.

In Krishna district TDP legislator Dasari Bala Vardhana Rao, the party's farmers' wing leaders and members of APNGOs association participated in the protest at Hanuman junction where they burnt copies of the draft Bill and raised slogans against the bifurcation of the state. In Gudivada also protesters burnt the copies of the Bill.

In Ongole Congress MP Magunta Sreenivasula Reddy, Machilipatnam TDP MP Konakalla Narayana Rao, BJP Andhra Udyama Committee Chairman Bathina Narasimha Rao, YSR Congress party leader Dara Sambaiah and TDP state farmers wing president Karanam Balarama Krishnamurthy were among those who joined the protest at the PVR Municipal Boys High School grounds and burnt copies of the Bill.

While TDP MLA K Narayana Reddy vowed to vote against the Bill in the Assembly, the two MPs pledged to work for the defeat of the Bill in the Lok Sabha.

In Vijayawada Samaikyandhra JAC leaders burnt the copies, while TDP leaders participated in a similar protest in Guntur. Leaders of various political parties went around the bonfire raising 'Jai Samaikyandhra' slogans.

Meanwhile, Congress MLC Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy strongly condemned the burning of copies of the draft Bill by the APNGOs leaders.

Speaking to media persons in the Assembly premises, Ponguleti said that the burning of the copies of the T Bill was an insult to the President and a clear display of disrespect towards the Constitution. He also condemned TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu and YSRC Chief Jagan Mohan Reddy for their silence on this act.

He said the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh was a political decision and therefore, the government employees should restrain themselves from indulging in politics.

Senior TDP leader Erabelli Dayakar Rao and TRS leader T Harish Rao also criticised the act of Seemandhra leaders. The T-Bill draft is presently being debated in the state legislature, which is on a break for the three-day Sankranti festival.