(Telegraph.co.uk) - Protests erupted in southeast India on Wednesday a day after the national ruling coalition approved the creation of a new state, leading to hundreds of arrests, police and reports said.
India's Congress party approved a resolution on Tuesday for the state of Telangana to be carved out of Andhra Pradesh state, despite fears the decision could spark violence in the region which includes the IT hub Hyderabad.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress leaders bowed to long-standing demands for Telangana, noting campaigns for a separate state date back to 1956.
The move must still be approved by parliament but the state's creation has the backing of the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which had earlier accused the government of "dilly-dallying" on the issue.
The new state, India's 29th, would be created out of an impoverished, drought-prone mainly tribal belt that supporters say has been neglected by successive Andhra Pradesh governments.
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