Anantapur: Even as security authorities denied permission to Samaikyandhra leaders to submit representation against state division to the President in Anantapur, Seemandhra representatives forum convener and primary education minister Sailajanath, who was also the member of the committee of centenary celebrations of former president Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy, took advantage of the invitation address and requested the President to keep the state united.
The police detained most of the leaders from various parts of the district on the occasion. But Sailajanath made the most of the time he got and urged the President to ensure that Andhra remain undivided and appealed to him to respect the sentiments of the majority of Telugu people who want the state to remain undivided. “You are the hope of Telugu people and no one but you could help us, as the majority is opposed to the division of the state.”
Briefing the President about the seriousness and possible consequences of the state division, the Seemandhra representatives forum convener pleaded with President Pranab Mukherjee, to “honour the sentiments of the majority of Telugu people to ensure constitutional protection by keeping state as united.”
Similarly, Anantapur MP Ananta Venkatrami Reddy also availed of the opportunity to stress the need for a united state during his vote of thanks at the centenary celebrations and pleaded with the President to keep the state undivided.
Both the leaders raised slogans of “Jai Samaikyandhra” after their speeches in the presence of President Pranab Mukherjee and Governor E.S.L. Narasihman. However, chief minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, who took a stand against state division did not utter a single word despite a minister from his party and MP demanding a united state.
Meanwhile, the police closed gates of Sri Krishnadevaraya University and posted additional forces following call by the JAC to stage protest at the President’s programme. Students were confined to the varsity campus while several leaders of YSRC and other JAC leaders were detained and shifted to I Town police station.
