Pro-Telangana activists boycott 'Andhra Day' celebrations - India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

Pro-Telangana activists mainly students of Hyderabad's Osmania University boycotted the celebrations of 'Andhra Day' here on Monday by carrying out demonstrations to highlight their demand for a separate State. Declaring the formation day of Andhra Pradesh as 'Black Day', the students carried black flags during their protest. Scores of Telangana activists, who were attempting to disrupt official celebrations, were arrested during their protest demos from different parts of the Telangana region. The agitating students expressed their displeasure with the Government's action and demanded the release of their fellow activists. Anti-Government slogans were raised, which reflected the motive of the demonstration. "Some students who were protesting have been arrested. All of them should be released or else we will launch an aggressive protest demonstration involving all the students in the State," said Mohammed Sajid, a student of Osmania University, Hyderabad. It has been reported that the Osmania University students tried to stop the cavalcade of Chief Minister K Rosaiah during which they were arrested. The seven-point term of reference announced by the Union Government on February 12 has mandated the Justice Srikrishna Committee to ''examine the situation in Andhra Pradesh with reference to the demand for a separate state of Telangana as well as the demand for maintaining the present status of united Andhra''. The Government constituted the committee on February 3, nearly two months after it had announced that steps have been initiated for the formation of a separate state of Telangana. The Telangana region is spread over 10 northern districts of Andhra Pradesh. Political analysts feel that the creation of the new state of Telangana may fuel social unrest and separatist demands in other states.