More protests for separate Telangana state in India

(Courtesy : http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8515689.stm)

More protests have broken out in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh in support of the proposal to create a separate state called Telangana.

At least 20 people were injured as angry students clashed with police in the state capital, Hyderabad.

In December, Indian authorities said Telangana would be carved out of the northern districts of Andhra Pradesh, but later said more talks were needed.

The state has seen weeks of violent protests for and against the proposals.

Police used batons and fired tear gas shells to break up a demonstration by students at Osmania university on Monday morning. It was the second day of clashes between police and students at the university campus.

No consensus

Meanwhile, the state assembly speaker has accepted the resignations of 11 pro-Telangana opposition legislators who resigned on Sunday.

More resignations are due on Monday.

The legislators are protesting against the Indian government's decision to set up a committee to look into demands for the formation of Telangana state.

The government announced the formation of the committee, headed by an ex-chief justice of the Supreme Court, earlier this month.

The protesting legislators are calling for the immediate creation of Telangana.

In January, a meeting of different political parties to discuss the issue failed to arrive at a consensus.

The leaders of the political parties who attended the meeting called for calm in Andhra Pradesh and agreed to hold further talks.

Correspondents say there are deep divisions within political parties over the Telangana issue.

The final decision to create a new state lies with the Indian parliament, but the sharply divided state assembly must pass a resolution approving its creation.