'We don't need security. People of Telangana will protect us'

Two Congress members of Parliament from Telangana region have sent back their gunmen to the government saying the people were enough to protect them and they don't need any security.

Earlier, the 12 MLAs of the Telangana Rashtra Samiti had also surrendered their security.

The mover came in protest against the remarks of the Andhra Pradesh Police Officers Association threatening to put down the arms if the political leaders continue to criticise the state police chief's handling of Telangana agitation.

Taking serious objections to the statement as well as the repressive measures of the police against the Telangana agitationists, leaders of the region have decided to return the official security.

The two Congress members of Lok Sabha Ponam Prabhakar from Karimangar and S Rajaiah from Warangal sent back their security guards on Thursday and held Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy responsible for the situation.

The two were among the nine Congress MPs from Telangana region who were arrested during the rail roko agitation and were sent to jail. In fact Ponam Prabhakar and Rajaiah had to spend three days in jail before the railway court granted them the bail.

"We have decided to lodge a complaint against the chief minister's vindictive attitude towards the Telangana MPs", Rajaiah told mediapersons in Hyderabad after surrendering the security.

He alleged that the state government and the police were selectively targeting the MPs from the scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and backward classes.

"The police have foisted false cases against us at the behest of the chief minster", said Ponam Prabhakar.

Meanwhile, the Andhra Pradesh Formation Day celebrations on November 1 have become the main target of the pro Telangana agitators. The Congress MPs have urged the Congress MLAs and all the ministers from the region to boycott the celebrations which mark the merger of Telangana with Andhra state to form Andhra Pradesh.

"If you attend these celebrations it will send a wrong message to the people about your commitment to Telangana", Ponam Prabhakar said.

Reacting to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's statement that the Telangana state cannot be given right away, he said that nobody wanted Telangana state right now. "What we are demanding is a clear road map for the formation of Telangana state", he said.

Meanwhile Telangana Congress leaders have also decided to hold their extended meeting in Hyderabad on October 22 to chalk out their future course of action.

Former Telangana minister threatens fast unto death

In a related development, former minister from Telangana Komatireddy Venkat Reddy on Thursday threatened to launch his fast unto death for Telangana state in Nalgonda from November 1.

Addressing a protest program of the striking government employees on Thursday, he said that if he dies during the fast, Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy will be responsible for it.

He also threatened that if the government tries to break his fast forcibly, he will commit suicide.