I am ready to lay down my life for Telangana: Rao

Telangana Rashtra Samiti president K Chandrasekhara Rao said he was ready to lay down his life for the cause of separate Telangana state and made a final appeal to the government of India to start the process of formation of separate state immediately.

Following his arrest, he told the media that he would continue his fast unto death where ever he was taken.

"I will withdraw my fast unto death only if the demand of the four crore people of Telangana is accepted by the government of India," he said. He appealed to his supporters and the workers of TRS to remain calm and maintain peace.

Earlier, addressing a press conference in Karimnagar before he left for the venue of hunger strike, where he was arrested by the police, Rao reminded the government of the history of Telangana region and that the people would not hesitate to die for the sake of Telangana state.

"Please do not try to play with the emotion of Telangana. Telangana is in habit of flowing blood on the earth of Telangana. Lakhs of litres of blood has already been shed by the people of Telangana. The glorious history is the fact," he said.

"Before I go to the fast unto death, I earnestly and most humbly appeal to the prime minister, the president of India and United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi to kindly consider the request, the justified and legitimate demand of the 4 crore people of Telangana," he said.

He stressed that the issue was not of an individual but it pertained to 4 crore Indians. He said that the people at the helms of affairs of the country should intervene to solve the problem. He recalled that the UPA had promised the formation of Telangana.