Hyderabad: Demanding the introduction of a Telangana Bill in the forthcoming Budget Session of Parliament, activists fighting for separate statehood began relay hunger fasts across the disputed region as part of intensified agitations.
The relay hunger fasts were launched on Friday by the Telangana Rashtra Samithi and Bharatiya Janata Party following the call given by the Telangana Political Joint Action Committee.
The TPJAC had earlier called for the relay hunger strikes as part of its push to pressurise the Centre to table the separate statehood Bill in Parliament.
Friday also saw thousands of activists from the two parties pledging to step up their agitation until a separate Telangana state is achieved, with TPJAC convenor Prof. Kodandaram leading the way.
Prof. Kodandaram even inaugurated the hunger strike camp at Kukatpally in the city and declared that the struggle for a separate Telangana state would continue till the Centre conceded to demands of the region’s people.
The TPJAC leader stated that the agitation would continue in a democratic and peaceful manner, but their patience should not be tested further by anymore delaying tactics.
Meanwhile, the Congress Core committee member and Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee is scheduled to convene another round of talks with the all-party leaders shortly.