AP division: Seemandhra lawyers' protest enters 100th day

The Seemandhra Lawyers Joint Action Committee on Thursday said about 18 lakh cases were pending in various courts in 13 districts of Seemandhra as their protest against the Centre's decision to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh entered 100th day today.

The Union Cabinet had earlier approved creation of a separate Telangana state out of Andhra Pradesh.

"The lawyer are abstaining the courts for past 99 days. About 18 lakh cases (which are to be heard and in which judgement is to be announced) are pending in various 700 courts in 13 districts of Seemandhra. We commenced our protests including boycott of courts since the Centre's decision to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh was announced," Seemandhra lawyers Joint Action Committee co-convener Muppalla Subba Rao said in a statement.

"Over 35,000 lawyers in 13 Seemandhra districts are on agitation path for the past 99 days. They are participating in various protests launched by non-political JAC and organising rasta-rokos, rallies, processions and other ways of protests," he said.

The lawyers will continue the agitation till an announcement from Centre comes in favour of a united Andhra Pradesh, he said.

"We are arguing the cases lodged against the supporters of united Andhra Pradesh free of cost," he said, adding most f the lawyers participating in the agitation are junior advocates/lawyers even though they are facing financial problems while fighting for the people's cause.

During their 99-day agitation, the JAC met ministers, various political leaders and explained the disadvantages and problems that would occur due to division of the state.

The JAC meetings were held at Guntur, Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Anantapur and Hyderabad and discussed further action to 'Save Andhra Pradesh', Subba Rao added.

The committee will meet on November 9 at Kakinada to discuss the future course of action.