Collectors Do the Honours on AP Day

HYDERABAD: For the first time in the history of the state, most of the ministers stayed away from the 56th Andhra Pradesh Formation Day celebrations on Tuesday.  Collectors hoisted the national flag in all the district headquarters across the state. The celebrations were held amid tight security anticipating trouble from both pro-Telangana and pro-Samaikyandhra activists.Only a few ministers participated in the AP Formation Day celebrations in Hyderabad.Fearing violent protests by Telangana protagonists, the ministers and ruling  Congress legislators did not participate in the celebrations in the region.While pro-Telangana activists gave a call to observe November 1 as a ‘Betrayal Day’, pro- Samaikyandhra activists miffed over the government’s decision to allow district collectors to unfurl the national flag instead of ministers in violation of the custom being followed since the formation of Andhra Pradesh. The government directed the collectors to hoist the national flag in all the districts to avoid unnecessary trouble.It may be recalled that the ministers from Telangana region urged the chief minister at a recent cabinet meeting to allow them to stay away from the Andhra Pradesh Formation Day celebrations as they would have to face the wrath of people of the region.To make it did not look odd, the chief minister asked the collectors of all the districts in the state to hoist the tricolour instead of ministers to mark the occasion.Ministers D Nagender, M Mukesh Goud and N Raghuveera Reddy were the few ministers who participated in the AP Formation Day fete.