Police detain anti-Telangana activists who were protesting outside the Prime Minister's house in New Delhi on Thursday. (PTI)
The ruling Congress is bracing for large-scale rebellion after the cabinet on Thursday cleared major steps for carving out a separate Telangana state from Andhra Pradesh. One minister, Chiranjeevi, has quit. Others have offered to resign. A two-day bandh has been called in the 13 districts of the Seemandhra region as protests intensify; national highways are being blocked.
(Telangana state cleared, Hyderabad shared capital)Congress MP L Rajagopal has said he will move the Supreme Court challenging the Union Cabinet's decision to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh, reports Press Trust of India.
Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy, who belongs to Seemandhra, will hold an emergency meeting with his ministers and legislators from the region at his camp office in Hyderabad at 11.30 this morning.
(Live updates)Soon after the cabinet approved a plan to create Telangana, India's 29th state, Seemandhra - as the coastal and Rayalaseema regions of the state are known - erupted in protest. Schools and colleges in the region are closed. National highways are being blocked and public transport is off the roads. Buses coming into and going out of the state have also been hit.
In Vijayawada, around 300 people gathered at the Benz Circle and burnt tyres. Commercial establishments in the city will remain closed for two days. Protests against Telangana have blocked all roads leading to Tirupati. Devotees heading to the famous Tirumala temple are completing their journey by foot.
Jagan Mohan Reddy's YSR Congress has also called for a 72-hour bandh across Andhra Pradesh against the decision. He said he wasn't pained by his 16-month jail term as much as he is pained by the decision to divide the state.
(Jagan calls for 72-hour bandh)There is pressure on Congress ministers and legislators from Seemandhra to resign to force the Centre into reconsidering its decision. Union tourism minister K Chiranjeevi faxed his resignation to Prime Minister late on Thursday night.
Two other union ministers Kotla Surya Pratap Reddy and Pallam Raju have offered to quit. Mr Raju said, "Five crore people have been on agitation for 60 days, yet the Cabinet decided to create Telangana. I offered to resign but PM told me not act in haste." MPs like Arun Kumar, Sai Prathap, Anantha Venkatram Reddy have also offered to resign.