In a provocative statement his critics said was meant to "instigate", Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) president K Chandrasekhara Rao (KCR) said Friday that all employees born in Andhra or Rayalaseema but working in Hyderabad would have to leave once Telangana is created.

"They have no other option. If Andhra has to start working, all Andhra employees will have to go back. We are not saying 'bhago, bhago', we are only saying that those who have cornered our jobs illegally and wrongly should go back,'' KCR said.

He was addressing Telangana Employees Association at Telangana Bhavan.

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"Once all the Seemandhra employees leave," he said, "all Telangana employees will receive promotions.''

Many officials in the secretariat, where a large number of people from Seemandhra work, said the statement was made to "instigate" Telangana employees against those from Seemandhra so that they quit Hyderabad by the time the Telangana Bill is passed.

"These remarks are aimed at intimidating and harassing us; people have already started talking in terms of 'Us' and 'You','' said S Chary, an employee.

Ever since the Telangana agitation started, people from Seemandhra have feared they would be targets of hate and retribution as Telangana residents would  helped by their leaders  see them as depriving them of jobs and livelihood. KCR had earlier said he would "kick out'' two top private educational institutions  Sri Chaitanya Group and Narayana Group  from Telangana. "They are from Andhra and have no reason to be here. The first thing I am going to do when we achieve Telangana is to kick them out,'' he had said in his speech to party workers.

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