Students JAC calls for strike on Monday

The Andhra Students Joint Action Committee, which is opposing the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh has called for a day's strike in all the educational institutions in Andhra and Rayala Seema region on Monday. The call was given in protest against the police stopping Guntur to Hyderabad Padyatra (walk) by a group of students of Acharya Nagarjuna University in supported of a united Andhra Pradesh.

The students, who had started their walk from Guntur were stopped and arrested at Nandigam around midnight fearing breach of peace if they entered 'Telangana.' The group of students were to reach Hyderabad and February 16 and wanted to hold talks with the students joint action committees of Osmania and Kakatiya Universities to urge them to support a united Andhra Pradesh.

Tensions were rising as several leaders and organizations had warned of trouble from people of Telangana if Andhra students entered the Telangana region. "If you want to come as friends you are most welcome. But if you want to come to oppose Telangana state, then you are not welcome. There will be a strong reaction from the people", said senior Congress legislator R Damodar Reddy. "You are free to conduct your programs against Telangana in your own Andhra region. Don't try to do it in Telangana as it will provoke the people", he said.

Angered over the police stopping the students and arresting them, the Andhra Students Joint Action Committee has called for closure of all educational institutions in the region on Monday. Krishna district superintendent of police Ramakrsihna said that the students were taken in to custody for their own safety and they will be released this evening.