Rosaiah says Andhra Day to be celebrated, students protest

HYDERABAD - Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K. Rosaiah Tuesday said the state formation day Nov 1 will be celebrated as usual even as students of the Osmania University tried to barge into state secretariat demanding that the celebrations be cancelled in Telangana.

Rosaiah told reporters that nobody was being forced to celebrate the state formation day. He said those calling for the boycott of the celebrations should reconsider their stand.

“Ever since Andhra Pradesh was formed, people are celebrating Nov 1 as formation day and this will continue as long as the state remains united. However, nobody is being forced to celebrate,” he said.

The chief minister was responding to the call given by Telangana leaders of ruling Congress party and main opposition Telugu Desam Party and Telangana Rashtra Samiti for the boycott of the formation day. They have decided to observe it as “black day” or “betrayal day” in Telangana region.

Tension prevailed at the state secretariat as students of the Osmania University tried to barge in, demanding the government cancel formation day celebrations in Telangana.

Members of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Osmania University students tried to lay siege to the secretariat. Raising slogans of “CM down down” and “Jai Telangana”, the students broke the security cordon and even climbed the main gate of the high-security building.

Police used batons to control the protestors and arrested them.

The pro-Telangana groups are strongly opposing celebration of formation day as the Dec 31 deadline for the Srikrishna Committee’s report is fast approaching.

The committee, constituted by the central government, is looking into the demand for separate statehood to Telangana region, comprising 10 districts, including Hyderabad.

It was on Nov 1, 1956, that Telangana, part of erstwhile princely state of Hyderabad, was merged with Andhra state to form a state for Telugu-speaking people with Hyderabad as its capital.