Hyderabad, Aug 9 (IANS): Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) chief K. Chandrasekhara Rao Monday said ministers from Andhra and Rayalaseema regions will not be allowed to move in Telangana if they fail to apologise for describing those demanding a separate Telangana as "anti-nationals".
Addressing a meeting at the party headquarters here, he said the TRS, Telangana Joint Action Committee, students' groups and all other organizations fighting for a separate Telangana state should not allow the ministers to move in the region unless they apologise.
The ministers in their representation to the Sri Krishna Committee, that is going into the demand of Telangana, last week reportedly termed the Telangana movement 'anti national', 'seditious' and a 'threat to the integrity of the nation'. The ministers also wanted the demand for a separate Telangana be treated as a cognizable offence.
Though Endowments Minister G. Venkat Reddy, who led the delegation of 16 ministers, Monday denied describing the Telangana movement as "anti-national", this has failed to douse the anger among Telangana protagonists.
For the second consecutive day, TRS activists staged road blockades in different parts of Telangana protesting the minister's remark.
"Even after a clear verdict by people in favour of separate Telangana state (in the recent assembly by-elections), the ministers out of sheer arrogance have described the movement as anti-national," said Chandrasekhara Rao, whose party has already petitioned Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan to dismiss the ministers.
Meanwhile, the ruling Congress too stands vertically divided over the issue. Some Congress leaders including MPs from Telangana have called for a boycott of the ministers while others have sought an unconditional apology.
Senior leaders including K. Keshava Rao and V. Hanumantha Rao have asked the ministers to tender an unconditional apology for the remarks.
Yet to recover from the crushing defeat in the by-elections, the Congress party leaders in Telangana are worried that the remarks could further damage the party's prospects in the region.
Talking to reporters in Guntur Monday, Minister Venkat Reddy condemned the statements and said it was unfortunate that senior Congress leaders had threatened not to allow Andhra and Rayalaseema ministers to move around in the region.
The minister denied that they had described those demanding Telangana as "anti-nationals". He said their remarks were distorted by a section of the media. He said they only opposed bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.