 "BJP accuses Congress of causing Andhra unrest")
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday held the Congress Party responsible for the unrest in Andhra Pradesh, caused by the bifurcation decision.
The crisis has deepened with electricity department employees stricking work, plunging large parts of the region into darkness. As a result of the power situation, many trains have also been cancelled.
Southern Railway has cancelled a number of trains between Chennai and Andhra Pradesh scheduled for tomorrow, due to the violent agitations by some workers of the Andhra Pradesh Power Transmission Corporation over the Telangana separate state issue.
Speaking to media in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh state, BJP spokesperson Siddharth Nath Singh said: "The way the Congress has bifurcated Andhra Pradesh in a hurry, without consulting anyone, and in view of the vote bank, just before the 2014 elections, they have divided the state. The Bharatiya Janata Party has always supported the formation of Telangana, but it should have been done after having talks with all concerned parties. There is civil unrest in that region."
Violent protests, burning of buildings and telephone towers and huge bonfires were a common site in various parts of the state over the weekend.
Irate anti-state protesters came in groups and attacked the police forces who retaliated with batons. Markets and shops were closed as authorities had imposed a curfew in the region.
More From This Section
But the major brunt of the curfew and violent protests was borne by the common man who could not get his daily supplies of milk and other essential commodities.
Congress lawmaker Panna Lal Punia said in New Delhi: "This is not the first time a new state has been created. Several states were created during the rule of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), States have been bifurcated, including Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. So, this is not a new thing and this was the commitment of the government, it was the will of the people and this bifurcation has been done only after that. And if there is any misunderstanding, it can be resolved through talks. Nothing is impossible."
In July, the Congress party had passed a resolution for the creation of the new Telangana state, a move that revived deep political divisions. In particular, there were apprehensions of violence in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad, which happen to be the home to mega global firms such as Google.
Hyderabad, the sixth largest city of India, which was also the capital of a unified Andhra, is a bone of contention between the two newly formed states.
After the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, the creation of Telangana would lead to the formation of India's 29th state.
The decision to break up Andhra Pradesh and establish Telangana out of the erstwhile domain of Hyderabad's Nizam came ahead of elections next year.
Political analysts observed this as a move by the ruling party to shore up its political fortunes after dragging its feet over the explosive issue for four decades.
The Congress had constituted the Antony Committee (headed by India's Defence Minister Arackaparambil Kurien Antony), to look into the impact of the separation of Telangana from Andhra Pradesh and the possible mitigation measures to counter any untoward situation.