In a bid to appease the people of Telangana on the occasion of her “Chenetha Dharna” at Siricilla in Karimnagar district on Monday, YSR Congress party honorary president Y S Vijayalakshmi paid rich tributes to the martyrs of Telangana movement on her way to Siricilla.

After crossing the major hurdle at Siddipet in Medak district where she had to encounter massive protests from the Telangana activists, Vijayalakshmi had a halt at the Telangana martyrs’ memorial at Rangadhampalli village, where she paid flora tributes to those who had committed for the cause of Telangana state. She raised a salute for them, amidst Jai Telangana slogans by the party workers.

This is for the first time that Vijalakshmi had acknowledged the Telangana sentiment, though at the party’s politburo meeting a few months ago, a resolution was adopted paying tributes to the Telangana martyrs. Obviously, Vijayalakshmi has realized that it is difficult to sustain the party in the region without at least showing lip sympathies to the Telangana cause.

At Siddipet, Vijayalakshmi had to bear the brunt of the Telangana people. A large number of women from neighbouring villages had blocked the road and halted the convoy raising slogans against Vijayalakshmi and her party. A couple of kilometers away from the town, Telangana activists pelted stones on her convoy damaging four vehicles. The police had to resort to lathi-charge, lobbing of tear gas shells and firing rubber bullets at the agitators to disperse them.