TDP legislator warns of suicide attacks

HYDERABAD: Opposing the demand for a separate state of Telangana, a senior leader of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and legislator Payyavula Kesav Wednesday warned of suicide attacks to keep Andhra Pradesh united.The warning by the legislator from Anantapur district in Rayalaseema region flared up the emotions in Telangana region with Congress MP Ponnam Prabhakar calling upon people not to commit suicides but kill those who are coming in the way of formation of a separate state.Reacting sharply to Kesav's statement, several Telangana leaders demanded his arrest."We are not only ready for suicides, but if required, we will turn human bombs to protect the state from being divided," Kesav said while addressing a meeting of TDP leaders from Andhra and Rayalaseema regions in Guntur district.The meeting gave a week's time to the central government to make a clear statement that it will not divide the state.Kesav drew flak from his own party leaders in Telangana. Former minister N. Janardhan Reddy demanded that Kesav be arrested immediately for making provocative remarks.At the Guntur meeting, another TDP leader Kodela Siva Prasad said they were ready to lay down their lives to prevent division of Andhra Pradesh.Reacting sharply to Kesav's statement and amid indications from the Congress leadership that it is not ready to deliver a separate state, Congress MP from Karimnagar Ponnam Prabhakar urged people not to commit suicides but to kill those creating hurdles for separate state.Kesav and Prabhakar made the remarks on a day when a youth from Telangana, apparently frustrated over the delay in granting separate statehood to the region, reportedly committed suicide at India Gate in the national capital.Telangana groups claim that over 600 people, mostly youth and students, have committed suicides since the Telangana agitation began in late 2009.Minor Irrigation Minister T.G. Venkatesh, who hails from Rayalaseema, had last week announced that he would set up dalams (armies) for the protection of people from costal and Rayalaseema regions living in Hyderabad.