Chandrasekhar Rao calls for Telangana bandh on December 5 against Rayala Telangana

Hyderabad: Threatening agitation and expressing displeasure over the reported Rayala Telangana move by Central government, Telangana Rashtra Samiti president K. Chandrasekhar Rao called for a bandh on December 5.

The TRS supremo also announced a series of protests opposing the proposal of Rayala Telangana.

Addressing a press conference at Telangana Bhavan here, KCR said that the people of Telangana would never accept Rayala Telangana under any circumstance. He said any move to dilute the original Telangana demand would be strongly opposed and foiled.

"Who has asked for Rayala Telangana? Where it has come from? We are totally opposed to it. We demanded only a separate Telangana state with 10 districts (of present Andhra Pradesh), with Hyderabad as its capital and without any restrictions on Hyderabad," TRS president told reporters here. 

Read here: Govt committed to formation of Telangana, says PM

Describing Rayala Telangana as 'illogical' and 'unwarranted', he termed the proposal as a conspiracy to stop the ongoing process of Telangana formation. He said that the Telangana should be formed with 10 districts with Hyderabad as its capital.

He appealed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the Centre to withdraw any such proposal. He also called for protest rallies by students and youth on Wednesday in Telangana. 

To protest against the proposal of Rayala Telangana, the TRS would organise protest rallies across the region on Wednesday. He appealed to all sections of the society, including the government employees to participate in the bandh.

Rayala Telangana proposal a tactful move of Congress?

The TRS politburo plans to meet on December 6 to decide its future course of action over the issue, since the Union Cabinet is scheduled to meet on that day.

Wittingly or unwittingly, the Congress leadership dropped sufficient hints on Monday that Rayala Telangana with 12 districts, including Kurnool and Anantapur from the Rayalaseema region, is a possibility. The proposal has drawn sharp criticism from Telangana leaders, including Union minister Jaipal Reddy.

Union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde, in an informal chat with newsmen, had said on Monday that the Rayala Telangana proposal was very much under consideration, but that no final decision had been taken. He had said that the GoM would meet on Tuesday evening to finalise the draft Bill.

AICC general secretary Digvijaya Singh had said that the Rayala Telangana proposal was very much alive and it was for the GoM and Union Cabinet to consider and approve it.

The indications, however, are that the Telangana Bill will not make it to Parliament by December 20, the last day of the Winter Session. A special session will then have to be called to pass the legislation.

Next: What is the justification for Rayala Telangana, asks Jagan

What is the justification for Rayala Telangana, asks Jagan

Meanwhile, YSR Congress president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, who supports a 'united' Andhra Pradesh, also strongly opposed the proposal of a 'Rayala Telangana', saying that it has been proposed purely for political expediency. 

"I don't understand what is the justification for a Rayala Telangana. Congress people do not know what they are doing. Who gave them the right to split Rayalaseema into two? I don't understand. Why add only two districts?," he said. 

"They might as well, add all the rest of the districts to Telangana and then simply rename the state as Telangana state. We are happy with it. These people (Congress) have absolutely no clue. They are doing it for the sake of votes and seats," Jagan, who is Lok Sabha member from Kadapa which falls in Rayalaseema region, told reporters.

Jagan: Rename Andhra Pradesh as Telangana

Jagan, who has already met a host of top leaders like BJP President Rajnath Singh, NCP Chief Sharad Pawar and Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee to seek their support for a 'united' Andhra Pradesh, said that he would appeal to leaders of various parties in Parliament to see to it that the 'injustice is stopped'.

He said that passing a resolution with two-thirds majority in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly and its ratification in Parliament must be made mandatory for bifurcating a state.

Jagan was scheduled to meet Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav in Lucknow Tuesday evening to drum up support for a 'united' Andhra Pradesh, but the meeting has been postponed to December 6, the YSRCP president said.

He alleged that the Congress is rushing the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh and does not want the Krishna river water dispute to come in the way of the bifurcation.

He further alleged that Telugu Desam Party (TDP) Chief N. Chandrababu Naidu, who agitates for AP's interests on the Krishna water tribunal award, failed to do justice to the state when he was in power.