Telangana fallout: Shinde briefs PM on situation in Seemandhra

With protests in Seemandhra region against creation of Telangana, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde today briefed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh about the prevailing situation in Andhra Pradesh and steps being taken to maintain peace there.

During the meeting, attended by Home Secretary Anil Goswami, Shinde is said to have conveyed to the Prime Minister that adequate forces have been deployed in Seemandhra region to maintain law and order and steps being taken to bring back normalcy, official sources said.

Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions of Andhra Pradesh continues to simmer with protests against the proposed bifurcation of the state as curfew remained in place in restive Vizianagaram town and large areas plunged into darkness with electricity employees on strike in protests against the Union Cabinet's October 3 decision to carve out a new state of Telangana.

Meanwhile, sources said the Home Ministry is worried over the protests turning violent in some parts of Seemandhra and attack on properties of Congress leaders.

The Central government was not expecting that the anti- Telangana protests would reach such a stage that it would turn violent and a large part of coastal Andhra plunging into darkness due to strike.

Sources said the Centre is also worried over possibility of pro and anti-Telangana protagonists coming into direct conflict as it would turn the situation more volatile.
We are taking maximum precaution and trying to ensure that people of the two regions do not clash, a source said.

Another issue which was worrying the Central government was to remove the fear psychosis gripping the people of Seemandhra on the possibility of losing academic and employment opportunities after the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.

As most of the good academic institutions and employment opportunities are located in Telangana region, mostly Hyderabad and its adjoining region, Seemandhra people think that very limited opportunities would be left after creation of the new state.