Opposing the reported move to split Bhadrachalam tooth and nail, former Union Minister Renuka Chowdhury today staged a sit-in protest demanding retaining of the sub-division with Telangana for the welfare of tribals.
The senior Congress leader's protest came a day after the union cabinet was believed to have decided to merge 130 villages from Bhadrachalam with Seemandhra for Polavaram dam project.
"Bhadrachalam must be retained with Telangana," Chowdhury, who sat on the dharna at Andhra Pradesh Bhavan here, said.
According to her, the tribal community in Bhadrachalam should not be divided. "Bhadrachalam is a very important place for all us. There is a huge tribal community, in which sociological anthropologists would join us in our concern that they should be kept united," she noted.
She also noted that there was a need for sociological and anthropological study of the tribals.
Bhadrachalam in Khammam district is a bone of contention between Telangana and Seemandhra leaders with both staking claims to it.
While those in Seemandhra region demand inclusion of the area in residuary Andhra Pradesh as these are submerged area of Polavaram multi-purpose irrigation project, the Telangana sartraps are stressing that Bhadrachalam is 'part and parcel' of their region.
Meanwhile, a small group of people from Seemandhra protested in front of Union Textiles Minister K Sambasiva Rao's house here, demanding his immediate resignation from the cabinet and sign the no-confidence motion against the government.
