Educational institutions across Telangana observed a shutdown following the call given by the Osmania University Students' Joint Action Committee in protest against the delaying tactics of the Congress high command in announcing the Telangana statehood. The bandh was supported by the Telangana Rashtra Samithi and Telangana Political Joint Action Committee.
The OU JAC representatives laid siege to the residence of senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member K V P Ramachandra Rao at Banjara Hills, alleging that he was the brain behind the lobbying by Seemandhra (Andhra and Rayalaseema) leaders in New Delhi, bringing pressure on the Centre to delay the Telangana process. They were arrested by the Banjara Hills police.At several places, the Telangana students attacked the Congress party offices and burnt the effigies of Azad and Congress president Sonia Gandhi. In Warangal town, the students attacked the District Congress Committee office, damaged the premises and pulled down the cut-outs of Congress leaders. They clashed with the police who tried to prevent them from damaging the Congress office.
Azad's statement came as a rude shock to the Telangana Congress MPs who had been doing hectic lobbying in the national capital to get a positive decision on the Telangana. The agitated Telangana MPs and ministers met Azad on Wednesday night and told him that they would not be able to go back to their respective constituencies if the party high command did not stick the original deadline.
"It appears that the Congress high command had succumbed to the pressure tactics of the Seemandhra leaders. That a Seemandhra minister T G Venkatesh announced well in advance that the Centre would take more time to resolve the issue itself shows how influential the anti-Telangana forces are. It is not proper to develop cold feet at the last moment," Karimnagar MP Ponnam Prabhakar said.Nizamabad MP Madhu Yaskhi said the Centre had put off the Telangana decision under pressure, but there was still scope for a positive decision on the Telangana.
On the other hand, Bhongir MP Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy said if the Centre did not come out with a decision by January 28, the Telangana MPs would decide their course of action. "We don't hesitate to quit the posts and the party and wage a battle for separate state," he said.In the meantime, reports from New Delhi said Sonia had another round of talks with senior leaders of the party including Azad, Vayalar Ravi, Sushil Kumar Shinde, Digvijay Singh and Chidambaram on Thursday to discuss the Telangana issue. However, they could not arrive at any decision, sources said.
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