Hyderabad: Several workers of Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), an ally of ruling Congress in Andhra Pradesh, observed the State formation day as 'black day' and held demonstrations in the region today (Nov 1, 2004) in support of their demand for separate Telangana State.

However, the TRS Ministers in the Cabinet refrained from joining the rallies and participated in the official functions to mark the State formation day.

"Being members of the Cabinet, we are bound by the Constitution. We cannot wear black badges and join the demonstrations demanding separate State," senior TRS leader and Transport Minister S Santosh Reddy said.

There are six TRS members in the State Cabinet while its founder president K Chandrasekhar Rao and senior leader A Narendra have been accommodated in the Union Cabinet.

Wearing black badges, hundreds of TRS workers took out rallies in Warangal, Karimnagar, Nizamabad and other towns in the backward Telangana region and demanded that UPA (United Progressive Alliance) Government at the Centre initiate immediate steps to carve out Telangana State.

Meanwhile, the TDP (Telugu Desam Party) supremo and former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu hit out at the Congress and TRS for pursuing 'politics of opportunism' on Telangana issue.

"They are trying to mislead the people by sending contradictory signals on Telangana issue and trying to exploit regional sentiments," Naidu told reporters in Visakhapatnam.