Bifurcation announcement
On 9 December 2009, Union Minister of Home Affairs P. Chidambaram announced that the Indian government would start the process of forming a separate Telangana state, pending the introduction and passage of a separation resolution in the Andhra Pradesh assembly. This resulted in protests across both Andhra and Rayalseema. Students, workers, lawyers & various organizations in the regions launched the Samaikyandhra Movement demanding that the state be kept united.MLAs from these regions also submitted their resignations in protest seeking a reversal of the home minister's statement.
On 23 December, keeping in view the reactions of people of other regions, the Government of India announced that no action on Telangana will be taken until a consensus is reached by all parties and groups in the state.Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema region MLAs started withdrawing their resignations while MLAs and ministers from Telangana started submitting their resignations, and demanded that the Centre take immediate steps to initiate the process of bifurcating Andhra Pradesh.
A Joint Action Committee (also known as JAC or TJAC) comprising political and non-political groups was formed to lead the demand for separate Telangana withOsmania University professor M Kodandaram Reddy as its convenor.
On 3 February, the government appointed a five-member committee headed by Justice SriKrishna to look into the issue.
