TDP, TRS activists jostle to pay tributes to T Martyrs

The Gun Park reverberated with ‘Jai Telangana slogans’ on Thursday as activists of the Telugu Desam Party and the Telangana Rashtra Samithi jostled with each other, vying to pay tributes to the Martyrs who died for the cause of Telangana.

The Telugu Desam Party leaders from Telangana, who were scheduled to descend at the Martyrs Memorial at 9:30 AM arrived late, just before 11 AM, the scheduled time of the TRS activists, on the first anniversary of the announcement by Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on the formation of Telangana state.

Predictably, the TRS activists led by TRS Mahila Wing president Thula Uma, took umbrage to the TDP’s attempt to infringe not only on the TRS’s pet issue of separate statehood, but also the attempted infringement on the paying of tributes.

Soon enough, jostling between both the camps ensued. The TRS Mahila members managed to get the better hand, even as the police descended on the scene and convinced the ‘warring’ parties to honour the Martyrs.

The TDP activists, led by Nagam Janardhan Reddy and Devender Goud, left for the Assembly premises across the road. They paid their tributes to the Martyrs from in front of the Gandhi statue.

Talking to media persons,Mr Janrdhan Reddy demanded that the Centre should stand by the announcement of Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on the formation of separate Telangana.

He demanded that the Centre introduce a Bill on Telangana in Parliament and also warned of serious consequences that if the Justice B N Srikrishna Commission Report goes against the aspirations of the Telangana people.

Senior TDP leader Devender Goud predicted that the people will lose their confidence if Union Home Minister P Chidambaram does not honour his promise on the formation of separate Telangana.

TDP Senior leader Erraballi Dayakar Rao was also present.