Andhra BJP chief blames Chidambaram for escalating Telangana situation

Andhra Pradesh BJP president and former Union minister Bandaru Dattatreya today wondered whether home minister P Chidambaram had held a discussion with the core committee before giving the statement on December 9 on Telangana issue, which led to unrest in the state.

"It seems no political process has begun for carving out separate Telangana state after December 9 announcement by the Centre," Dattatreya told reporters here.

The second statement of the home minister Chidambaram on December 23 on the issue of Telangana has further escalated the situation, he said.

It was unfortunate that president Pratibha Patil has cancelled her visit to the city in view of prevailing political turmoil, Dattatreya said.

Meanwhile, the BJP leader said the party has set up a free legal control room at the state office here to provide legal aid to pro-Telangana agitators including students against whom false cases were registered by the police.

The police has booked cases against 800 advocates who participated in the pro-Telangana agitation, he claimed.

The free legal control room was set up under the leadership of high court advocate K Antony Reddy, he said adding that a large number of advocates has come forward to provide help to people against whom cases were filed by the police.