Widespread protests against TDP Chief Chandrababu Naidu took place Tuesday in Telangana as Naidu wrote to the Krishna River Board to ask Telangana stop its power generation at Srisailam hydel station. Telangana, already in red over power deficit, didn’t take kindly to the AP CM’s provocation. The TRS leaders protested across all major towns against the TDP boss and asked the TDP MLAs to clarify if they agreed with their party leader.
The TRS leaders and activists set TDP Nalgonda district office afire in protest. Led by party district chief D Narsimha Reddy, party workers took out a rally with an effigy of Chandrababu Naidu in the town. Later, the protestors gate-crashed into the TDP district office and set it afire after ransacking it.
In Warangal, TRS MP K Srihari, MLA A Ramesh, district president T Ravinder Rao and others demanded the Telangana TDP leaders to ask their boss and secure 1,000 MW power, Telangana’s due, to farmers in Telangana.
The leaders said that the AP government was not giving the due 54 per cent power generated from Krishnapatnam and Lower Sileru and as a result there was severe shortage of power in Telangana. Mr Naidu was deliberately reducing power generation in Andhra only to trouble the TRS government here. The TRS leaders said they were ready to save water and give the same to Andhra and Rayalaseema provided the Andhra government gives 1,000 MW of power now to protect the standing crops and save the lives of farmers.
In Nizamabad, the TRS activists set fire to the effigy of Chandrababu Naidu for his letter. The district president E. Ganga Reddy alleged that Mr. Naidu did not stop his plots to loot Telangana share of water from Srisailam and other projects while denying share to it in the power being generated in the Krishnapatnam project.
In Karimnagar, the TRS activists have resorted to widespread protests on the issue. Alleging that Mr. Chandrababu Naidu was responsible for power woes in Telangana State, the TRS rank and file had set fire to the effigies belonging to AP Chief Minister in various parts of Karimnagar district on Tuesday. They accused that the AP Chief Minister violated the AP Reorganisation Bill which had allocated 54 per cent share of power to the Telangana State. In Metpally the TRS leaders have destroyed the flag posts of TDP.
At a press conference, Karimnagar MP B Vinod Kumar, ZP chairperson Tula Uma lashed out at the AP Chief Minister for snatching away the allocated share of power to Telangana State. They pointed out that the Andhra rulers had set up more power stations in Seemandhra in united AP state neglecting the Telangana region which was having abundant coal reserves.