 "Seemandhra leaders burn Telangana bill in Bhogi fire")
Various groups in Seemandhra Monday burnt the copies of Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill, 2013, in Bhogi fire to oppose the state's bifurcation.
On a call given by Samaikyandhra Parirakshana Samithi, leaders of various political parties burnt the bill copies in bonfires set on streets as part of Sankranti celebrations.
In Bhogi fire, people burn old agricultural and household waste with a belief that new things would be ushered into their lives.
Samithi leader P Ashok Babu burnt the copies of Telangana bill at Ongole town in Prakasam district. The protestors including leaders of various political parties went around the fire raising slogans of "Jai Samaikyandhra" (long live united Andhra).
"By burning the bill in Bhogi fire, people showed their opposition to the bifurcation," said Ashok Babu, who is also president of Andhra Pradesh Non-Gazetted Officers' (APNGOs) Association, which represents government employees of Seemandhra (Rayalaseema and Andhra regions).
Congress parliamentarian from Ongole, Magunta Sreenivasula Reddy and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) parliamentarian from Machilipatnam, Konakalla Narayana Rao and local leaders of other parties were among those who burnt the bill papers.
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Samikyandhra Joint Action Committee (JAC) leaders dumped the bill copies in Bhogi fire at Vijayawada while TDP leaders participated in a similar protest in Guntur.
The bill for formation of a Telangana state is being debated in the Andhra Pradesh assembly. The bill, sent by President Pranab Mukherjee to the assembly for its opinion under Article 3 of the Constitution, is to be returned to him by Jan 23.