PRP activists protest Chiranjeevi’s decision to oppose Telangana

HYDERABAD - Actor-turned-politician K. Chiranjeevi’s decision to quit as legislator and oppose the proposed separate statehood to Telangana Thursday evoked strong protests by activists of his Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) in the region.

Soon after the superstar announced his decision to quit the state assembly and fight for a “united Andhra”, PRP workers came out on the streets in several places, burning effigies of the superstar and shouting slogans against him.

Protests were reported from Nizamabad, Adilabad, Karimnagar, Medak and other districts in the region.

There was tension at the PRP office in Jubilee Hills as dozens of leaders and workers from Telangana region gathered outside and raised slogans while Chiranjeevi was addressing a news conference.

The protestors clashed with police when the leaders from the region were not allowed into the party office. They staged a sit-in raising slogans of “Chiranjeevi down down”.

Some PRP workers sustained minor injuries when police used force to arrest them.

PRP leaders from Telangana began a meeting here to chalk out their future course of action.

“Chiranjeevi has betrayed the people of Telangana. He has no respect for the sentiments of the people of this region,” said Maheshwar Reddy, one of the two PRP legislators in the region.

The PRP, Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) activists and other pro-Telangana groups also stopped screening of films starring Chiranjeevi’s son Ram Charan Teja and nephew Allu Arjun in theatres in Hyderabad and nine other districts of the Telangana region.