Talking to the media on the occasion of the death anniversary of N T Rama Rao at the NTR Ghat here on Friday, he said the Vastunnaa Meekosam pada yatra of Naidu brought a new zeal to the party and expressed confidence that he would once again Naidu as the Chief Minister. He said all the problems of the people would then be a thing of the past.

NTR said he could not join Naidu in his yatra as he was busy with his shooting schedules. He would however join him somewhere when he found time. Ruling out the possibility of his contesting election, NTR however said he would always be available to the arty for campaign.

Pela Srinivasa Rao’s followers attacked former minister Bandaru Satyanarayana Murthy. As his group also retaliated, tension mounted at the place. Local leaders and police had to intervene to pacify both the groups.

Lokesh, his father-in-law Bala Krishna and mother Bhuvaneswari participated in the Amar Jyothi Rally at Rasooolpura in the city, on the occasion of the 17th death anniversary of late N T Rama Rao on Friday.

When media tried to get Lokesh into conversation, he said he would talk to them only after his father completed his pada yatra.

The court also extended the custody of Nimmagadda Prasad and Mopidevi Venkata Ramana, who were arrested in connection with the Vanpic case, to January 30, after hearing them through video conferencing.

Meanwhile, Minister Dharmana Prasada Rao, an accused in Vanpic case, appeared before the CBI court on Thursday. The court extended the remand of OMC principal accused Gali Janardana Reddy and B V Srinivasa Reddy till January 31.

Meanwhile, the CBI filed a counter opposing the petition of former IAS officer Srilakshmi for extension of her interim bail. It may be mentioned here that the court had granted her interim bail on her plea of illness.

It is learnt that the plan for shifting Gali to Bellary in Karnataka to face a defamation case was cancelled due to security reasons. Earlier, the police planned to shift him to Bellary with the help of the Karnataka police.

Students of Osmania University and activists of Telangana Jagruthi, the cultural arm of TRS.

Some protestors also tried to lay siege to the house of state minister Viswaroop. They also pelted stones on another minister Danam Nagender, who hails from Hyderabad but wants separate statehood to Hyderabad. The minister himself caught one of the protestors and handed him over to police.

Students opposing Seemandhra meeting also tried to take out a rally from Osmania University but police stopped them from coming out of the campus. Seemandhra leaders made it clear that any move to divide the state would be unacceptable.

Students belonging to Osmania University and activists of the Telangana Jagruthi, cultural arm of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), tried to barge into the high-security Ministers’ Quarters in Banjara Hills to stop the meeting of Congress party leaders of Seemandhra (Rayalaseema and Andhra regions).

Raising slogans of ‘Jai Telangana’, the students said they would not allow any meeting which is aimed at stalling formation of Telangana state.

As tension mounted, police arrested the protestors and bundled them into waiting vehicles.

Later, activists, including from Telangana Jagruthi, tried to lay siege to the Ministers’ Quarters but were arrested.

The protestors, including women, said they would not tolerate attempts by Seemandhra leaders to stop formation of a Telangana state.

The leaders from Seemandhra, including ministers and legislators, are meeting to chalk out their future course of action amid indications that the centre will soon take a decision to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh. Apart from passing a resolution to be submitted to the Congress president Sonia Gandhi, the leaders are also planning their future course of action in the backdrop of the centre hastening the Telangana process. They also plan to meet the leaders of the Congress High Command at Delhi soon.

Meanwhile, the Telangana Joint Action Committee (JAC), comprising various pro-Telangana groups, began day-long silent protest to demand the centre to make an announcement for carving out Telangana state by Jan 28.

After the Dec 28 all-party meet on Telangana, union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said a decision on the issue would be taken within a month.

Leaders of various political parties and representatives of the groups of government employees, lawyers and journalists are participating in the silent protest at Telangana Martyrs’ Memorial, Gun Park near state assembly building.

JAC leader M. Kodandaram urged Seemandhra leaders not to stall Telangana at a time when New Delhi is nearing a solution to meet the aspirations of its people.