Telangana activists to intensify stir from July 25

With no decision on the Telangana issue yet, activists fighting for separate state have decided to take a more aggressive stand.

Come July 25, and pro-Telangana activists, backed by the Joint Action Committee, will go on a rampage in Hyderabad and others parts of the region pulling down hoardings, posters which have 'Andhra Pradesh' on them. These hoardings will be replaced by ones that declare Telangana as a separate state, the JAC said.

After hearing about the July 25 agitation, the Andhra Pradesh government has gone on the defensive. Plans are being chalked out to beef up security in the region and to thwart the protest.

The JAC also directed all government and private employees from the Telangana region to strike work from August 1 till statehood is granted to the region.   

Meanwhile, Congress leaders from Telangana are doing everything in their power to convince the Union government to declare a separate state at the earliest.

Ghulam Nabi Azad, All India Congress Committee general secretary in charge of Andhra Pradesh affairs, is sending out mixed signals on Telangana. His remarks in China that only the state government's consensus would matter for the formation of Telangana was withdrawn when he met leaders from the region.

He told them that the media had misquoted him. However he went on to say, "You have been living together for centuries and should continue to live together." This remark prompted pro-Telangana leaders to go to New Delhi and press for their demand.