Hyderabad, Mar 4 : Sixteen Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) legislators resigned from Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly today over the Central Government's delay in creating a separate Telangana state.

Led by the party's floor leader, G Vijayarama Rao, the legislators submitted their resignations to Speaker K R Suresh Reddy.

Accusing the Congress of injustice, Vijayarama Rao said Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhar Reddy is the 'biggest stumbling block' to the creation of a separate Telangana state.

He claimed the people of Telangana have been deceived by the Congress leadership, and they had no option but to resign to register their protest.

Their resignations came a day after four TRS MPs led by party president K Chandrasekhar Rao had resigned from the Lok Sabha.

Before submitting his resignation on Monday, Chandrashekhar had alleged that their demand has not been fulfilled, although a consensus has emerged.

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha L. K. Advani has said that there should be a debate on the issue of carving a separate state of Telangana in Andhra Pradesh.

Earlier, Advani had said that the BJP is ready to extend its support for a separate state, as it believes that new states can be carved out of bigger states in order to speed up development.

The TRS, contested state assembly polls in 2004 in alliance with the Congress, which they feel has betrayed the promise of granting separate statehood to the Telangana region, which comprises 10 districts of Andhra Pradesh, including Hyderabad.

The demand for separate statehood to Telangana region comprising 10 districts including Hyderabad is over four decades old. (ANI)