VISAKHAPATNAM/HYDERABAD: While the agitation by pro-Telangana activists was marred by violence on the Osmania University campus, the unified state protagonists launched a bus yatra from Visakhapatnam to drum up people's support for their cause.

Leaving no stone unturned, the pro-unified state supporters are prevailing upon ministers and elected representatives from Andhra and Rayalaseema regions to prevent bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. In Tirupati, students of Sri Venkateswara University boycotted classes in support of the unified state, while their counterparts in Sri Krishnadevaraya University in Anantapur staged protests in front of the university.

Students laid siege to the residences of rural development minister D Manikya Varaprasad and Mohd Ahmedullah in Guntur and Kadapa respectively, demanding that they quit their posts in support of the unified state. Revenue minister N Raghuveera Reddy, who was gheraoed by the Andhra University students in Vizag, said that resignations would not provide solution to any problem.

"Resignations will only cause by-elections and not solve the problem. Since it is a coalition government at the Centre, all constituents of UPA have to be consulted before taking a decision on the statehood issue," he told the students' Joint Action Committee leaders when they sought his support for a unified state. Raghuveera assured the students that they would fight to keep Andhra united.

In what could be indicative that the Samaikhyandhra agitation is picking up momentum, the Samaikhyandhra Porata Samithi, comprising retired professors, lawyers and intellectuals, set out on the bus yatra on Monday to propagate the message of integrated Andhra Pradesh in coastal districts. The first day the yatra was conducted in Greater Visakhapatnam limits.

The yatra would cover the north coastal Andhra districts in the first phase. "We want to create awareness among the people of Seemandhra region about the united Andhra agitation. In the rural areas the slogan of united Andhra has not been propagated extensively till now," Samithi president and AU retired professor Jacob Sastry said.

Advisor to the Samithi G A Narayana Rao said conducting agitations at the houses of the people's representatives is not the culture of the Andhra people and they would follow the Gandhian way by not resorting to any violent means to achieve their goal. The Samithi leaders said they would conduct the bus yatra in Telangana region to seek the support of the region's people.

Earlier, lawyers in Palasa of Srikakulam conducted a rally and educational institutions closed in some parts of Vizianagaram in favour of the Samaikhyandhra agitation.