‘Stop provoking people of Telangana'

Venting their ire: Mahila Congress leaders setting fire to the effigy of Vijayawada MP L. Rajagopal in Karimnagar on Sunday.

WARANGAL: Congress MP S. Rajaiah advised Vijayawada Congress MP Lagadapati Rajagopal to restrain from instigating people of Telangana region and said Congress leaders from the region would do everything to secure statehood for the region.

Addressing a press conference here on Sunday, Mr. Rajaiah said Andhra leaders were unable to stomach the positions and popularity enjoyed by Telangana leaders. “How can he demand Ponnam Prabhakar's resignation from the MPs' Forum convenor's position? Is it a worthy position? The Andhra leaders want to secure every position and cannot see Telangana leaders getting them,” he remarked.

Mr. Rajaiah said they were pursuing the issue of separate Telangana with the party high command and would make every effort to convince it in favour of the issue. Similarly, if Andhra leaders had something to say, they should take it up with the party high command rather instigate the people of Telangana region.

Asked if the Telangana Congress leaders would resign, he said they would do so if the party high command fails to regard their request.

“In democracy, every issue gets addressed through dialogue but may take time. We will patiently wait for a favourable decision from the UPA government,” he added.

TDP protests

ADILABAD: The Telugu Desam Party activists constituting support group of rebellious Adilabad MLA Jogu Ramanna on Sunday burnt a poster of Mr. Rajagopal to protest his statement on Telangana protagonists not winning more than 40 Assembly seats in the region. Mr. Ramanna, who participated in the protest at NTR Chowk, criticised the MP for his statement. He said Mr. Lagadapati should desist from inciting people in Telangana. He said such statements only hurt the sentiments of people in the region.

Novel protest

KARIMNAGAR: The District Congress Committee leaders launched a scathing attack against Mr. Rajgopal.

At a press conference here on Sunday, party president Kanne Krishna, PCC secretary Y. Sunil Rao, Karimnagar Market Committee chairman A. Bhaskar Reddy and others alleged that the Vijayawada MP with his money and muscle power was trying to suppress statehood movement and had insulted a BC Telangana leader Ponnam Prabhakar.

They said that Rajagopal had attained dubious distinction in the State for snatching away precious properties of Telangana region for his selfish gains and business activities. The TDP town unit leaders protested against the Vijayawada MP by staging a novel protest. The TDP leaders tied the posters of Vijayawada MP to a dog and chased it away in the town. TDP leaders M. Ramesh, B. Venkanna and others were also present.

Effigy burnt

The Town Mahila Congress leaders have set fire to an effigy of Mr. Rajagopal.

The Mahila Congress leaders led by its president Gugilla Jayashree and others demanded unconditional apology from the Vijayawada MP for his derogatory remarks and warned of serious action for insulting Telangana Congress leaders.