Separatists, Integrationists clash in Vijayawada

VIJAYAWADA: An attempt by advocates of state’s bifurcation to hold a meeting at the Freedom Fighters Association Hall here on Sunday led to a clash with students supporting state’s unity for over an hour with both the groups hurling chairs on each other.Samaikyandhra Students Joint Action Committee district convener T Saikrishna and others were injured in the melee with organisers of the Telangana, Andhra Rashtrala Sadhana Sadassu. The injured were taken to government general hospital for first aid.Incidentally, the Samaikyandhra JAC conducts all its meetings at the Freedom Fighters Association Hall. As per schedule, the meeting of the Telangana Andhra Rashtrala Sadhana Sadassu was to be held at the Kandukuri Kalyanamandapam in Gandhinagar but the venue was shifted to the Freedom Fighters Association Hall at the last minute without prior permission from the police.Though the pamphplet claimed that MRPS founder-president Manda Krishna Madiga, POW state president Sandhya, Telangana United Front co-chairperson Vimalakka and Jai Andhra and Telangana Mahasabha leaders would attend the meet, they did not turn up.Telangana Andhra Rashtrala Sadhana Sadassu organising committee convner Y Koteswara Rao, Kapu Nadu state president Pilla Venkateswara Rao and another leader Sunkara Srinivas, Samajika Andhra Rashtra Samiti co-convener Pichuka Srinivas, political analyst Govada Veeraju and two local lawyers attended.When the members, who numbered less than ten, were about to hold the meeting, Student JAC leaders reached there and entered into an argument with the organisers. They started arguing with each other and threw the chairs at each other. The melee continued for an hour.Meanwhile, some BJP leaders reached the venue but were whisked away by the police to prevent further clashes. Sadassu organisers and student JAC leaders were detained in the Governorpet and Satyanarayanapuram police stations respectively. Student leaders lodged a complaint with the police that when they were protesting peacefully the Sadassu organisers attacked them.Sunday’s incident was not the the first to occur between separatists and integrationists. On July 24, there was mild tension when  Telangana Praja Sangham laeders tried to organise a similar meeting at the Press Club here. TPS leaders including JAC president Bellaiah Naik Tejawat and general secretary Srihari Yadav, Mala Mahasabha state president Mallela Venkat Rao, Telangana Journalists Forum convener Palle Ravikumar were present when Samaikyandhra leaders led by JAC district convener Kolanukonda Shivaji went in a procession and staged a protest against holding a meeting on state’s bifurcation in Vijayawada.