Celebrations in Telangana, anger in Seemandhra

Celebrations broke out in Telangana while Seemandhra erupted in anger after the union cabinet Thursday decided to carve out separate Telangana state.

People in Hyderabad and nine other districts of Telangana hailed the decision of the union cabinet. Activists of Congress, Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and other groups came out on streets bursting crackers and distributing sweets.

Congress workers including women were seen dancing at Gandhi Bhavan, the party headquarters. Party leaders joined the workers in the celebrations.

Though TRS chief K. Chandrasekhara Rao advised people of Telangana to be cautious till parliament passed a bill for formation of separate state, the activists of his party celebrated the development at party headquarters Telangana Bhavan.

Seemandhra (Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra) was rocked by protests after the cabinet decided to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh. Protestors came onto the streets in Vijayawada, Guntur, Visakhapatnam, Tirupati, Kurnool, Anantapur and other towns, opposing the decision.

Raising slogans of 'Jai samaikyandhra' (long live united Andhra) the protestors burnt effigies of Congress leaders, central ministers and MPs. Various groups opposing state's bifurcation have called for 48-hour shutdown in Seemandhra.